Otherside
by Sophie D. Bloom
Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru get together to collect a jewel more powerful than the Shikkon and find themselves falling for each other along the way.
1. Noble Proposal

Hi everyone! I'm Sophie and I'm in the middle of computer graphics class and I am bored...so what better time to write my Kagome/Sesshomaru fanfic!? Now don't get me wrong, I like the whole InuYasha and Kagome thing that usually goes on, but like many others, I get fed up with the way that he treats her and who knows how to treat a lady better than old fluff mcguff? Ha ha... well anyways, this story takes place after Inu Yasha tells Kagome that he has chosen Kikyo...

Title: Otherside

Author: Sophie Bloom

Rating: R-ish

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any of its characters...or anything...

CHAPTER 1:

Kagome ran blindly through the woods towards the well. The very branches of the trees seemed to scratch at her flesh as though they wanted her for themselves, and holes and tree stumps came out of no where, making her trip every other step. Her hot salty tears kept her from seeing anything further than a foot ahead of her, but she still turned her head back to see if _he_ was following her.

_He_ wasn't.

As she finally found her way to the door that would send her home, to her own time, she bowed over, utterly exhausted and leaned on the edge of the well. Her heart was pounding so hard, she thought it would jump out of her chest. She moved a graceful hand up to her eye to wipe away her own angry tears.

'That jerk! How can he not see that she does not love him? She only wants him dead!' her head screamed. But it was more than that which tore at her heart...InuYasha had chosen...

FLASHBACK

"You saw her, didn't you?" Kagome asked softly. InuYasha did not answer.

"Look, at you. You can't even make eye contact with me! What happened InuYasha?"

InuYasha raised his head to her gaze, his eyes telling everything.

"Kagome," he said slowly, "I I love Kikyo. I know it's my fault that she died!"

"No! You know that was Naraku's doing!" Kagome cried. She didn't understand why he was acting like this.

"I owe it to her to be with her and protect her..." he said sadly.

Kagome didn't understand. Was he trying to say he didn't love _her_? After all they had been through together, he loved Kikyo, and not her!?

"InuYasha, what are you trying to say?" she whispered.

He looked up at the sky for a moment and back down at her. His orange/gold eyes, told more than his words.

"It's not fair for me to be with you. I care about you Kagome, but it's not fair for you or her. You're her reincarnation, surely you can understand that."

Kagome looked as though she had been shot. Her mouth was open so far you could see all the way down her throat. Her eyes suddenly lost their usual blue/silver and were now pure grey.

"IS THAT ALL I AM TO YOU?!? JUST A REINCARNATION OF AN OLD GIRLFRIEND?!?!"

"I've tried to be patient, I've tried to show you how much I cared about you, and not to mention how many times I've tried to be by your side when no one else would and all you can say is that 'you're her reincarnation'?! I am done with you! No more jewel shards, no more lunches, and no more me!"

He looked fazed, but you could tell he was angry as well.

"I'm sorry Kagome. No matter what I care about you. I really am sorry. But this isn't like you to throw a fit. It's not like we were an ITEM!"

As quickly as the words had left his mouth, he regretted them. It wasn't his intent to hurt her so. His eyes quickly looked away from her, not liking how this was going...

Kagome walked up to him and with her right hand slapped him as hard as she possibly could. He flinched, but did nothing else.

Kagome turned away, ripped her necklace off and threw it at him. In it was the recent jewel shards that Kikyo hadn't gotten a chance to steal. Well they would be hers now!

"InuYasha!!!!"

He managed to choke out a 'yes'.

"SIT!!!!"

As his body slammed to the ground she ran towards the woods on her way home.

FLASHBACK OVER

Head bowed and knees scrunched up to her chest, Kagome now openly sobbed for all to hear. She thought she had loved InuYasha. Was it love? Or was it merely the jealousy of what he had once had with Kikyo that made her want to be loved by him so? Now she was not sure about anything and her head hurt just from thinking about it.

She looked around and was sure about one thing: she didn't want to go home. She knew the loneliness there would make her depression worse than it would be here. At the same time, the Warring States Era was worse because _they_ were there. Had she become that bitter? Just thinking about them, even though she was part of it, made her sick to her stomach. She needed to figure out her next move.

The sky was perfectly clear, and the clouds kept her more occupied than anything. Wandering thoughts settled in, and she started to wonder if she had handled the situation properly. Should she have stayed? No, she knew that things happened for a reason, and she would not go back to him. But what about the jewel shards? What about Shippo, Miroku, and Sango? They were her friends and she knew she would see them again. Hopefully Kikyo wouldn't hurt them...no, they were smart enough to get away from that, surely. She was tired of complaining about Inu Yasha all day.

"Maybe I should have chosen the other brother," she laughed bitterly.

"That could be arranged..." came a voice from behind her.

Kagome jumped up, startled, and turned around only to be face to face with (who else?) a company-less Sesshomaru.

"W-w-what do you want Sesshomaru?!" She barked, pretending to be unafraid. She had never been alone with him, so she was more than a little nervous, not necessarily for her life, but more because there was something so deep about him, in his eerily beautiful face that made her stomach twist into knots.

He ever-so-slightly raised a perfect eyebrow. For some reason, this made her heart skip.

"You know what I am after _woman_. With all sounds you were making, you're lucky Naraku himself didn't come here. Now where is that half-breed brother of mine?"

'Woman'? Kagome had never been called that before, and the idea alone kind of seduced her. Everyone else, including Inu Yasha, had always seemed to see her as just a stupid girl. Being called a woman was sort of...empowering.

"I am through with that bastard brother of yours!" she shouted, not used to saying such harsh words about anyone.

'So the little half-breed went back to the priestess...how interesting,' he thought. 'This could work out to my advantage if I play my cards right. She may be the key to finding the legendary Kyosetsu!' He knew the time to act would be now.

"What did he do now..." he paused to look at her porcelain face, "maybe his beloved Kikyo had something to do with your sorrows?"

The question startled Kagome and cut into her still fresh wounds. Why should she give him the pleasure of knowing how miserable she was? After all, Sesshomaru did hate her...didn't he?

"Mind your own business Fluff-head!" she spat, immediately regretting it. She closed her eyes quickly expecting a blow, but it never came. When she opened them, he was still standing there, looking rather amused by her unneeded fear.

"My, my, you really do have me all wrong. Unlike that half-witted brother of mine, I would never strike woman. I am of noble blood, and I am above that."

Kagome was now unsure of how to react. Why had he not yet tried to kill her? She thought that he wanted Inu Yasha, and all his companions (including her) dead. Did she truly have him wrong?

"I have a proposition for you Kagome..."

Now she was really freaked out. A proposition? And did he just call her by her name? She was sure he was up to something...

"Since you are now sans company, and you obviously dislike Inu Yasha, I propose a partnership. In return for your help in gathering some necessary materials for me..."

"Wait! You just want me to help you get jewel shards!" she interrupted.

He continued, undaunted,"...I will allow you to join my company and you will be under _my_ protection."

"Why should I help you? You have tried to kill my companions so many times I have lost count, and you would only be using me!" she rebutted.

"Feh," he said (obviously this was a family trait), "think what you will. I have never attacked you or your companions, unless they tried to get in my way. My aim was always him. Besides, I don't need you for what I am trying to accomplish, I was only trying to be generous. If you do not choose to join me it is your to both our disadvantages."

He knew he was lying about not needing her. This woman who had so easily survived numerous attacks by powerful foes, and collected so many pieces of the Sacred Jewel, she was indeed useful. Could his idiot brother not see that she was twenty times more powerful than that priestess?

"I-I don't know. How do I know you're not up to something?" she quivered.

A small smile crossed his handsome features.

"You don't, but then again, nothing in life is certain anyway."

These words were indeed true to the girl who had been forever changed by a trip down the well she happened to still be standing by.

"I will find you in two days, and then you may give me your decision," he said.

"I make no promises Sesshomaru..."

"I didn't ask for any," he replied flatly.

He looked her up and down and once again gave a small grin.

"Pity. Inu Yasha really is a half-wit," he said coolly as he started to leave.

"Why do you say that?" Kagome asked cautiously.

He stopped and turned towards her.

"Kikyo's not as powerful as you, not anymore," he paused, "and she's not as beautiful as you either."

With that he stepped back into the woods and disappeared into the trees, leaving a speechless Kagome alone with her thoughts, and her new predicament.

End of Chapter 1

So how do you like it so far?! I am going to try to put out 2 or 3 chapters a week (I spend a lot of time in the computer lab). Post comments until I get my brand new email addy. Thanks a lot to all who read! Promise I'll try to post chapter 2 asap!

Sophie


	2. Deliberation

Otherside....Chapter 2

Hey guys...ready for chapter 2? I'm back, and I promise this chapter will be better, the more I read 1, the more unhappy I am with it! So here I am, back to make sure you don't die from lack of quickness (as many of you me!)

Chapter 2 is called 'Deliberation'. It's a little more laid back that chap.1, and it goes into detail about this so called plan of Sesshy's, and Kagome's final decision. Here goes, I hope you like it...

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha, or any of its characters or divisions.

"...I will find you in two days, then you may give me your decision..."

The words circled in Kagome's head like the rings of a planet, echoing, constantly distracting her from her history lesson. She had been called out for daydreaming four times already, and wasn't in the mood for a stern lecture and detention for not paying attention.

It had been almost two days, and she still was unsure of what to make of Sesshomaru's so-called 'proposition'.

'What is there to decide? Sesshomaru is bad news and you know it!' she scolded herself. It seemed she was always being drawn to him, by some unknown reason, almost as though looking for an excuse to say 'yes'.

Maybe he wasn't all bad. He hadn't lied to her when he claimed to have never attacked her, she was sure of that now. Could he be trusted? That would be the true question. Something inside told her that he wouldn't lie, that he was straightforward to a fault.

'Mysterious, dark, and _incredibly gorgeous_ and...evil?' She asked herself. She wasn't so sure on that last one.

Any other time, there would have been no question as to where her decision lay. Kagome was a good person, almost pure, and had always found herself fighting on the side of good. Now the lines between good and evil, payback and do-gooding were so blurred, she couldn't tell up from down.

She hadn't forgotten the way InuYasha had dumped her the other day, declaring his undying love for Kikyou, thus breaking Kagome's heart. She was so angry; she wanted to prove herself better than Kikyou. It was rather odd, like competing with herself, but she had to find a way to show InuYasha how it felt to be left for someone so similar, yet so opposite. What better way than to help Sesshomaru in his quest?

'Have I really become that cynical?' she thought. Maybe she deserved to be with Sesshomaru.

Still, some negotiations would have to be made, she was sure of that. The number one thing would be that there would be absolutely no harm to InuYasha physically. She still cared for him after all... Number two would be that she would be able to leave to go home every once in a while... And finally, she would not participate in anything that would be considered 'evil', or harmful to others. It was the part about getting him to agree that would be difficult.

He had not gone into any detail about what they would be doing, except gathering some 'necessary materials'. Surely now that he had a powerful sword it wouldn't be for a weapon...jewel shards maybe? Kagome knew guessing would get her no where. He was so mysterious; there could be a hundred reasons. She would just have to meet him and see.

Upon deciding to at least hear Sesshomaru out, she suddenly felt a lot better. The mental clouds parted and she was able to concentrate on the remainder of her history lesson. Maybe things would work out after all...

After a quick dinner with the family and a shower, Kagome found herself putting on a little more mascara, and a touch more lip gloss than usual.

'Geez, it's not a date Kagome!' her conscience scolded.

Angry at herself for noticing, she gathered her essentials and marched out the back door, towards the well...

WARRING STATES ERA

After pulling herself carefully out of the well on the other side, climbed out and sat in front of it. As the sun started to get lower, nervousness turned to paranoia.

'What are you doing?'

'He probably just wants to use you to get InuYasha!'

'You shouldn't be here!'

'It could be a trap!'

These things screamed at her, trying to force her to run home, or worse, to InuYasha. But she stood her ground. Kagome knew that no matter how much she would always care for him, she would never rely on him again. Still, she stood bravely near the well, staring into the woods, waiting for him.

As the edge of the sun finally crept down below the hills, the first star in the sky appeared, and he was there. Like a moonbeam he shone, walking out through the trees towards her. His long silver hair trailing down his back, his chest out, shoulders back, and his eyes were literally a dazzling yellow, like a mirror for the sun. Kagome had to step back a moment to take it all in. 'Beautiful' wasn't quite the word. 'Stunning' would have done it more justice, but not by much. Had she never truly realized before how perfect his form was?

Where as InuYasha had a very rough handsomeness, Sesshomaru had a smooth beauty, though there was nothing feminine about this demon. Even his long silver hair had its own masculine texture. He truly was royal.

"Have you come to a decision?" he asked smoothly, snapping Kagome back to the decision at hand.

The young woman stepped forward and put on a brave face.

"I will give you my answer as soon as you tell me why you need me."

Sesshomaru's lips almost formed a grin.

"Very well, I admire a woman with determination," he said, "A few weeks ago, I ran into a demon of little power who was running around as though being chased by some unseen force. He ran up to me and begged for my protection from some 'guardian spirit'. Of course I said no, for I was tracking the demon Naraku and had more important things to tend to."

Suddenly Sesshomaru's face became very angry, frightening and surprising Kagome, whom had never seen him display a certain emotion, even when fighting InuYasha.

"When I declined, he grabbed Rin and held a sword to her throat. In an instant I was standing over his ravaged body."

His face returned to normal, but now Kagome was truly intrigued.

'So that little girl who travels with him is Rin? I was wrong about him being cold hearted, he obviously cares about her!' she realized.

"I was about to deal the final blow when he begged me to spare his life, and that, in return, he would tell me of a source of immense power. At first, I ignored him, thinking it was only a trick to save his miserable life. But he then pulled out a jewel shard, one that looked almost identical to the Shikon Jewel, save for one major difference...it was black."

Kagome gasped, obviously shocked at this new revelation.

"A black jewel shard? But how?" she wondered aloud.

"I was as curious as you. I sat him up and demanded an explanation. Apparently, though everyone knows of the Shikon Jewel, few know of its predecessor, the Kyosetsu Jewel. It was said to have been created by the first demon ever to walk the earth, my ancestor Kyosetsu. In a battle against the gods that lasted over 1000 years, he was finally slain. To make sure that he would never be reincarnated, his soul was trapped in the shards of the Kyosetsu Jewel."

"Is that where the shard came from?" Kagome asked eagerly.

"Patience, I will tell. If the shards are brought together, it is said to give he who possesses the Jewel of Kyosetsu's Soul the power of Kyosetsu himself. He would be strong enough to cut through the gods, if necessary, of course."

As he finished speaking, his glance aimed towards Kagome, who leaned carelessly against the well wall. She seemed to be much more at ease then before, and this pleased Sesshomaru. She may be easier to tame now.

Kagome caught the glance of his pale yellow eyes. Why was he looking at her so strangely?

"Surely other demons know of it now?" she asked aloud.

"Those who know of it would not pursue it because the legend says that no demon nor human could track it...but you're no ordinary human are you?" he asked derisively.

Kagome's blue eyes flashed gray in anger.

"Look, just because I am the reincarnation of Kikyou, does not make me a priestess, all right?!" she roared. She was so tired of being treated like a clone. 'I'm nothing like her!' she thought distastefully.

"No, you are not. You are much more. Someday you will understand. Even Kikyou cannot track jewel shards, correct?"

"I-I guess..."

"That is why I chose you. Obviously that brainless brother of mine is too blind to see it, or to see anything about you for that matter." His eyes slowly traced every inch and curve of her body, making her blush bright red.

Embarrassed and unused to such attentions, Kagome quickly changed the subject.

"So you think I will be able to help you find the Kyosetsu shards. Then I have one more question...what will you do with so much power?"

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow.

"You are afraid I will go after InuYasha?"

Kagome nodded her head.

"Very well, if you assist me in tracking the shards, then I shall give you my word that no harm will befall him by my hands. You obviously still have feelings for him."

"I do not! I just don't want this to be all about him!" she protested.

Sesshomaru may have kept his face devoid of emotions on the outside, but inside he nearly laughed. He had to admit, he admired her bravery. No one had ever raised their voice to him, and most were too terrified to speak to him. Yet this woman seemed to show no trace of fear.

"I would not waste power on his miserable skin."

"Then what will you use it for?" The question burned in her.

"With this power, I will make myself ruler of these lands and keep civil order."

Kagome was shocked. Wasn't he supposed to be the bad guy?!

"Then what will happen to me when you get all the shards? Will you get rid of me?"

Now Sesshomaru truly had to use all his power to keep from laughing. Did she truly have such a bad opinion of him?

"No. We will decide this later. You will be free to leave once the Kyosetsu is complete, but of the rest I am unsure. I reward those who assist me well. Though I must warn you, many demons have by now heard of you and will come searching for you, as I'm sure word of your great abilities have traveled well. I will swear to protect you from harm."

Kagome gulped. Could she trust him? Something inside reminded her she had no choice. She would not run back to InuYasha. The way he looked at her made her dizzy. It wasn't a lustful look like she was used to, but more of a regal respect. She knew she couldn't say no to his offer if she wanted to.

"Fine. I accept your offer Sesshomaru. Let me warn you that I fully intend to visit my own time and friends when feel like it!" she demanded.

Sesshomaru did that slight eyebrow raising thing again and it became quite clear to him at that moment that this girl would be quite a handful.

"Very well. Let us make our leave now, there is much work to be done," he stated.

Before Kagome could protest he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her into the air. She looked down to see they were on the back of his steed, and they were not alone...

"Hello Lady Kagome!" chirped a little girl who barely came up to Kagome's waist.

'This must be Rin, that little girl who always follows him.' Kagome smiled at Rin. She was really cute.

"Hi...Rin," she smiled. Rin's face instantly blushed. She was excited Lord Sesshomaru was bringing the pretty lady with them, Jakken could get boring after a while...

"Do not bother Lady Kagome, Rin! She and Lord Sesshomaru are conducting serious business!" shouted an irritated Jakken. Kagome recognized him as well; he had been Sesshomaru's cheerleader at many of his battles.

"Oh its okay Master Jakken, we aren't in the middle of anything now!" Kagome replied, not wanting to see little Rin get yelled at.

Jakken bowed his head in embarrassment at being spoken of in such a high manner. At first he wasn't too thrilled with Lord Sesshomaru's idea of bringing the Lady Kagome along, for after his experience with humans, he wasn't very fond of them. At least this one knew how to respect one of his position!

Kagome looked over to Sesshomaru who was at the front of the steed, staring straight ahead while his long silver hair whipped behind him.

"You may sit Lady Kagome, it will be a time before we land," he spoke, staring straight ahead still.

Kagome did as she was told and looked up at the sky.

'This should be a _very_ interesting journey,' she thought before falling asleep.

END OF CHAPTER 2

OMG! So sorry it took a while to get that one out, mid-terms came up faster than Miroku's hand on a woman's butt. Seriously though, thank you so much for being patient with me and I really appreciate all the feed back I have been getting! (Thank you to Katgome, Sesshoumarugrl, hgchipmunk, Tigressmoon, etc!) I will try to keep getting these chapters out ASAP, okay peoples! Stay tuned for chapter 3!


	3. Out of the frying pan

'Otherside'

Chapter 3- Out of the Frying pan...

Hey guys! Thank you so much for the positive feedback; it's really been encouraging me to continue faster! This chapter is hopefully going to be even better! Chapter 3 is about Sesshomaru's secret night meetings, and Kagome's increasing interest in him!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own InuYasha or any of its characters or properties

'ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-z-z-z-z-z' was the sound that had been driving Kagome nuts all of the past four hours. She shot a glance at the culprit, the little toad Jaken. Despite his ugliness and his creepy loyalty to Sesshomaru, he wasn't so bad...awake anyways. Kagome had resorted to sleeping an hour a day, for any other time, it seemed that they were journeying or Jaken was sleeping.

It was during these hours that Kagome really got enough time to think.

It had been a week and despite their most valiant efforts, their search had turned up nothing...except a few run ins with some less than hospitable humans and demons! It seemed as though they had been inside every cave, mountain and hole in the land, and had yet to turn up a single piece! At least it gave Kagome some time to get to know the troop she was traveling with...

Kagome sat up and rested against a large tree. Rin slept peacefully next to her, huddled for warmth. 'She is so adorable. It almost seems like having her around keeps Sesshomaru in check...even if it is just a little' she thought. Kagome gave little Rin her blanket and stood up, half debating whether or not she should kick Jaken to keep him from snoring...nah. She tried that already. It only caused him to cry out Sesshomaru's name and something about 'fate worse than death'. The only person missing from the scene was Sesshomaru himself.

Every night it seemed that Sesshomaru would disappear as soon as everyone fell asleep. Kagome, however, rarely slept. She had been growing more and more curious about his whereabouts every evening, but as curiosity goes, it got the best of her.

After looking behind her to make sure everyone was asleep, Kagome walked briskly in the westward direction, eager to find him and satisfy her curiosity.

It had been an hour, and Kagome still had not found Sesshomaru. She started to grow nervous at the idea of being lost in the Forbidden Woods (she had an idea of why they were called that...) and she estimated it to be somewhere near four o'clock in the morning, and in three more hours, everyone else would awaken.

Seeing a clearing in the distance, Kagome rushed towards it, ignoring the stinging sensation of the branches tearing at her skin. The clearing seemed to glow, almost beckoning her towards it. As she got within a few feet of it, she stopped. Not more than twenty yards away was Sesshomaru, and he was not alone...

Across from him was the most beautiful woman Kagome had ever seen.

Not only that but was she singing to Sesshomaru?! Kagome dashed ahead and hid behind a rock to get a better view.

The woman was tall and very graceful with long golden hair. She had on clothes similar to Sesshomaru's, obviously royalty. Even from the distance she was at, Kagome could see the woman's flashing yellow eyes. Was she Sesshomaru's mate? Who was she?

Suddenly the woman looked in Kagome's direction, her yellow gaze piercing through Kagome's nervous gray ones. She had been seen! As quickly as she had seen Kagome, the golden woman had disappeared.

Sesshomaru stood up and turned towards Kagome's direction. All she could hear was her heart thumping wildly in her chest. 'Oh well,' she thought. Best to face the music!

Kagome stood and held her head as high as possible and marched toward the silver demon. She knew he would probably hurt her, kill her even, but she would not go down like a coward!

When she was finally face to face with Sesshomaru, Kagome's heart beat so loud, she was sure he could hear it.

Sesshomaru merely eyed her suspiciously.

"Why are you here Kagome? You should be resting with the others," he stated.

Kagome gulped. It always made her nervous when he called her by her name.

"I couldn't sleep, and I-I was curious where you went to every night!" Kagome huffed.

A slow smile crept across Sesshomaru's sharp features.

"I suppose you want to know who that woman was?" he asked casually.

"N-no. It is none of my business."

"No, it is not. Yet because you are so concerned for my well being that you can not sleep at night, my Lady, I will tell you..."

Kagome leaned forward, subconsciously hoping he wouldn't say 'mate'.

"She is my mother."

"Mother?! I didn't know you had a mother Sesshomaru!" Kagome exclaimed, relieved it wasn't his lover.

"Silly woman, where did you think I came from then?"

Kagome blushed, embarrassed at her own words.

"She died when I was young. She was Lady of the Western lands, and the most powerful demon in the area, save my own father."

'So she was royalty!' thought Kagome.

"When she died in a battle with demons from the continent, my father grieved so much that it started to affect his decisions, hence his mating with a human," he said with a distasteful look.

"She is quite beautiful," said Kagome, wanting to get off that subject.

"Yes, though only a spirit now, she comes to me when I am in need of her, singing songs of old."

Kagome openly stared at him, surprised at his honesty. 'So he has a heart after all,' she pondered.

"I have never told anyone of this, and I expect you to do the same," he stated flatly.

"Of course. I'm sorry for sneaking up on you, but I can hardly sleep with Jaken's snoring..."

Sesshomaru smiled, a genuine smile! Kagome was instantly hypnotized by his perfect teeth.

"Yes, that is a nasty habit of his. I do not need sleep necessarily, but Jaken prevents me from thinking about it; another reason I never stay at night."

Kagome laughed out loud, and this pleased Sesshomaru very much, though he did not understand why. He looked down and noticed his Tensaiga glowing brightly in the moonlight.

'What is it Tensaiga, are you trying to tell me something?' He looked at Kagome who was staring at the moon. 'Is she the source of power I have been searching for? Yes, it would make sense. She pulled out the Tetsusaiga, and she may have been the reason I could not easily defeat InuYasha!'

"Kagome."

"Y-yes?"

"From now on, at night you will join me, and me alone."

Catching her jaw in her hands before it dropped, she looked at him to say something, but words did not escape her mouth. He had flashed her _that _smile again, the one that made her body melt and her heart stop. All she could do was nod her head in agreement.

"Good. The sun is rising, we should return to the others."

Sesshomaru held out his hand in a chivalrous manner, inviting her to go ahead of him for a change.

Kagome forced herself to march one foot at a time ahead of him.

Why did he have such an effect on her? No man, not even InuYasha had made her heart do back flips like this before. Alone with him every night? For some strange reason this made Kagome very happy, but not as happy as she felt when he placed his hand on the small of her back to escort her back to camp!

'Am I falling for him?' she wondered. She turned her head to face him, his eyes staring straight ahead as usual. The only difference was in that he was touching her. This was enough for Kagome though.

Was she truly falling for him?

"I am," she accidentally said aloud.

"Am what, Kagome?" Sesshomaru inquired.

"Oh, nothing!" Kagome blushed, "nothing at all."

Whew! I know it was a small chapter, but there was a lot packed in there wouldn't you say? Sorry, sorry, sorry at the wait for this chapter! I know 4 days is an eternity in fan fiction! LOL. Thank you so much for the positive reviews. This chapter took me 40 minutes to write, but the next one gets good. Sesshomaru 'accidentally' comes upon a bathing Kagome...sound familiar? Well it must be a brotherly thing. Next chapter will be up possibly as early as 10/20, but definitely by 10/21! Keep posting!

Love Sophie


	4. Into the fire

'Otherside'

Chapter 4-...into the fire

Hey guys, me again! I hope you like chapter 3, but this is chapter 4, and this is where some of that R rating stuff comes in, LOL. Anyways, this one is about finding the first piece of Kyosetsu and afterward Kagome has a peeping tom! How is InuYasha handling all this? Guess you'll have to find out!

DISCLAIMER: I Do not own InuYasha or any of its characters!

WARNING: Some sexual references are in this one (don't worry, it's classy stuff!)

'Into the fire'

Her hands were so chapped; she almost had to wear gloves.

Kagome had developed a bad habit of rubbing her hands together when she was nervous, and it seemed she was nervous quite often these days. Not over attacking demons, or lost jewels as you might expect. No, it was much more dangerous than that. She was nervous because of Sesshomaru.

Morning, afternoon, and evening had all come and gone, and now the night was coming. Kagome knew what that meant...Sesshomaru and her..._alone_!

Never one to shy away from her feelings, Kagome had accepted his offer, unsure of what it meant.

"Are you ready Kagome?" he asked, hand extended to her.

'Here goes nothing!' she thought. She stretched her hand forward meeting his and almost pulled it back at the touch. His hand was so warm, she had the reaction of touching a hot plate.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

"You're hand! It's so hot!"

Sesshomaru lazily glanced down at his still extended hand.

"Do you think me so cold?"

Kagome felt ashamed, she knew what it was like to be judged so harshly.

"No, it just surprised me, that's all."

Sesshomaru reached forward once again and this time firmly grasped hers, watching her face with interest. Kagome ignored the warm sensation until it went away and flashed Sesshomaru her most dazzling smile.

"Where are we going Sesshomaru?" she asked innocently.

Sesshomaru said nothing, and continued holding Kagome's hand, much to his own surprise. He wasn't usually the holding hands type.

They continued marching through the trees, all the while both of them were silent, minds racing.

'Why is he still holding my hand?' Kagome wondered. It puzzled her, but she couldn't complain. Any attention from this man seemed to please her, more so now that she understood her growing feelings for him.

'He couldn't _like_ me could he?'

Her heart twisted inside of her at the thought. She wondered how she had so quickly come to forget her old feelings for InuYasha, and now was developing even stronger feelings for Sesshomaru. At the same time, she was cautious. Kagome knew she couldn't take another broken heart...

Still it wouldn't hurt to try!

'Why am I still holding her hand?' Sesshomaru asked himself. Never one to fancy human companions, his choices had been strange of late. Rin and now _her_? He flashed a quick glance at the woman beside him, analyzing her quickly. 'What is this affect she has on me?' One look at her instantly make it understandable why men and demon alike took interest in her. She truly had a very pure beauty.

'Maybe the more time I spend with her, the more my power will grow.'

Tensaiga was glowing again, the second time it had done so.

'Perhaps when I am ruler of these lands, I will make her my queen...in position only. I will not allow myself to have feelings for a human woman. I will not make my father's mistake!' he mentally slapped himself.

'The Lady Kagome is not a pure human...'

'No she is not...' his mind whispered.

After what seemed like forever they reached the edge of a cliff.

Kagome instinctively became nervous.

"Why are we here Sesshomaru?" she asked suspiciously.

"What? Do you honestly think I intend to push you off? My, you are a strange creature."

Sesshomaru pointed down and before Kagome knew it, she was gliding slowly down an invisible bridge towards the ground below, Sesshomaru holding her tightly. When they reached the bottom, Kagome looked around in awe. She was surrounded by a beautiful waterfall and large body of water. Was this what he had wanted to show her?

"Sesshomaru! It's so beautiful!"

Sesshomaru made no facial expressions, but inward he was very pleased. Something inside him made him want to keep this girl happy, but he was not sure why...

His thoughts were interrupted by a tight hug from Kagome, which caught him off guard. He looked down to see her smiling up at him.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

"Feh, it was just a convenient place to speak."

Kagome had lost all her fear and nervousness and dashed towards the crystal clear water. She had a plan...

"I'm going to take a bath!" she yelled.

Sesshomaru collected himself and turned away towards the rocks that were slightly higher up. Sitting down and leaning against the largest boulder, he tried to regroup.

Kagome made sure he wasn't looking and stripped. Stepping carefully into the warm water she held her arms over her chest until she was completely submerged from the shoulders down. Not that it helped, the water was as transparent as glass, even in the moonlight.

'If he looks, he likes you!' she told herself. Kagome was quite eager to know if Sesshomaru liked her, or even found her attractive. 'It worked on InuYasha!' But Sesshomaru was more regal, and well mannered; right?

'I will not let this woman spend the entire night bathing!' he scolded himself angrily. Time was running out and he needed to find the Kyosetsu, not romance some priestess!

Sesshomaru stood up, angry at himself for letting her get the best of him. He was just about to make her get out of the water when he reached the edge and looked down at the figure swimming below.

Sesshomaru had to catch himself from falling over the edge. In his attempt to remind himself of his mission, he had accidentally caught a glimpse of a nude Kagome, and what a glimpse it was!

Kagome stood so that the water up to below her navel so that she could run her fingers through her waist long ebony hair. Her head tilted back and her eyes closed, the effect on Sesshomaru was one he had never experienced. The moonlight reflected off her ivory skin, making the water beads glimmer like diamonds. She truly was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She would someday be his queen, no doubt of that.

Looking away to keep from dishonoring himself, he fought to control his raging emotions-to no avail. This woman was starting to have an effect on him...

Kagome opened her eyes and looked up. Nothing. Maybe he had looked when she had her eyes closed, or maybe not. Irritated with herself for lowering to such a foul level, she splashed the water. She looked down at the crystal clear surface and noticed something out of place. The moon was there, her reflection was there, and another set of eyes were there...and not Sesshomaru's!

"Ahhh!!! Sesshomaru!" Kagome screamed.

Sesshomaru stood up, annoyed.

"I did not me-"he stopped short. There was another creature down there with Kagome, and it did not look friendly...

Kagome stood perfectly still as she watched the menacing set of red eyes creep towards her. It was a demon all right; a snake demon by the looks of it. One thing Kagome was not a fan of was snakes...

"Kagome, don't move," Sesshomaru said calmly.

"Okay," she said weakly.

In one swift movement, Sesshomaru was upon the creature, slicing with his claws, elegantly yet ruthlessly. Kagome could only watch helplessly. Suddenly, something caught her eye. For a moment she thought it was a piece of the Shikon jewel, but she instantly realized it was much darker and shinier. Could it be...it was a piece of Kyosetsu!

"Sesshomaru! I see a piece of Kyosetsu!"

Sesshomaru looked over at her quickly.

"Are you certain?" he asked between blows. This snake demon was more of an adversary than initially thought.

"Yes! It's lodged between it's eyes!"

With one giant strike on the fore head the snake fell to the ground.

"Now Kagome, only you can see it. You must take it!"

Kagome rushed forward through the water towards the snake, forgetting her fear. She reached down and snatched the jewel from its head and the snake shrunk down to the size of a worm.

Looking down at the jewel, Kagome realized these pieces were much larger than that of the Shikon. There might only be about half a dozen pieces!

It was then Kagome also realized she was still naked, and Sesshomaru was standing right in front of her.

Embarrassed from head to toe, Kagome turned and ducked under the water, trying to hide her breasts from his view.

Sesshomaru tilted his head back and laughed, actually laughed! Partly from Kagome's nudity but also from his happiness at finding a piece of Kyosetsu. She was the key!

His laughter only ended when he was splashed in the face. He looked up at the culprit, shocked. Never in his existence had anyone ever had the audacity to do something so bold as to splash him in the face!

Kagome was now laughing, boldly unafraid of him, and of course still stark nude.

It was only then that Sesshomaru rushed up to her and held her in an embrace, locking her lips with his own. The move surprised him as much as it did her. When he finally ended the kiss, they were both out of breath, staring into each other's eyes under the starlit sky.

"Sesshomaru, I-"

"I will not apologize for my actions," he stated nonchalantly.

"I-I don't want an apology."

"Good. Now get dressed, the sun is rising and we must get back to camp."

Kagome walked to the shore and started getting dressed. 'Did that really just happen?' she wondered. She placed a finger to her lips, they were still warm and swollen. It did happen, she had just kissed Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru meanwhile placed the crystal piece into his belt pouch. He seemed cool and collected on the outside, but inside his heart was racing and his mind was spinning.

'You made a fool of yourself!' he lamented.

He was so angry with himself for his actions he could hardly concentrate. He let his feelings take over, something Sesshomaru rarely did. But he had to admit, it felt better than anything in his whole life, and he craved more.

"Come Kagome, we must be on our way."

Kagome stumbled blindly to him, unsure of how to act. Was he mad at her?

Her eyes told him her feelings.

"We are now one step closer to obtaining Kyosetsu," he said.

Kagome nodded her head at him.

"When I have all of Kyosetsu, I will make you my queen."

Kagome looked up at him totally confused. 'Did he really say that?'

"But Sesshomaru I'm just a hu-"

"Come Lady Kagome."

They trudged along back to camp, both with many thoughts filling their heads, unaware that they had been watched...

InuYasha slammed his fist into the ground. He had seen everything from the bathing to the kiss.

"How dare she go to _him_!" he snarled. Whether he was willing to admit it or not, he knew he had made a mistake in letting her go. He still cared for her, and watching her stand there _naked_, kissing his hated brother made him insane with jealousy.

He had accidentally stumbled upon them while he was looking for a spot of his own to cool off at. Kikyou had once again left without telling him where she was going, and Sango, Miroku, and even Shippo had left the day he 'dumped' Kagome.

He now understood that Kikyou was no longer the woman he had fallen in love with over 50 years before. Now he wanted Kagome back and she was with his brother.

Sometimes InuYasha had the worst luck.

END OF CHAPTER 4

So, how did you guys like it? I hope you did, it was a hard one to write! I know you guys will be awesome and make me really happy and review it right??? LOL Chapter 5 will be up by Friday, and remember, the more I hear from you guys, the more encouraged I am to keep updating on time! (Hey, 3 chapters in a week ain't bad right?)

Stay tuned for chapter 5...'Non-Domesticated' It goes more into the building relationship between Kagome and Sesshomaru. Also more nudity? Maybe, maybe not! Just have to see!

Love, Sophie


	5. NonDomesticated

Otherside

Chapter 5 'Non-Domesticated'

Hey guys! Well, it's really early (8:30) and I just took a world government test which I probably did terrible on...so writing chapter 5 seems to be the only thing that will cheer me up! My professor isn't looking so here goes! This one is a little more about the Kyosetsu and Kagome and Sesshomaru's relationship developing after the kiss...and more.

Disclaimer: Don't own inuyasha or any of its characters, etc.

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Chapter 5: non-domesticated

"Lady Kagome, are you all right?" asked a concerned Rin. Kagome, usually the talkative type, had barely said a word all day.

Kagome lazily turned towards the girl, barely processing the question.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Rin, I'm just kinda out of it today!" she replied with a smile.

Rin looked at her suspiciously. She really liked having Kagome around, it was like having a big sister! She was always so nice to Rin, and even to Jaken, it was strange to see her so quiet.

Rin also could tell that there was something going one between Lord Sesshomaru and Lady Kagome. 'It would be nice if they got married and lived happily ever after with me and Jaken!' she thought. She sighed heavily. Lord Sesshomaru wasn't paying any attention to them today, he was more interested in that new shiny black rock they found.

'Maybe if they found more, they could spend more time together and fall in love!' Rin thought excitedly.

"Lady Kagome," she tugged at Kagome's sleeve, "are you going to find more rocks today?"

Kagome sat up and looked at the adorable little girl.

"We're going to try," she said with another smile.

"Good!" Rin exclaimed, leaning in towards Kagome.

"Then Lord Sesshomaru will be happy and you can stay with us forever!" she whispered into Kagome's ear.

This took Kagome by surprise. Did Rin like her that much? Forever? Forever was a long time, but she knew Sesshomaru was the type she could spend forever with...

Rin dashed off towards the creek bed merrily, probably to bother Jaken.

Kagome giggled in spite of herself at the little girl's precociousness.

Her eyes came to rest on Sesshomaru's long silvery mane. His back was to her, as usual, and he was carefully observing the newly obtained piece of Kyosetsu.

Kagome lay back down, thinking about the events that had occurred the night before.

The main thing that occupied her thoughts was the kiss they had shared. Her lips had been pressed against his hot warm ones, her hands wrapped around his neck...and her being naked. She was still rather embarrassed about that.

The feeling his kiss left her with was not unlike that of drinking a warm hot cocoa after playing in the snow. She felt it all over, even though it had only lasted an instant. His attitude towards her had been distant since then, and he had barely said a word to her, except when he told her she was to be his queen.

'His queen?' she wondered. Sesshomaru had himself declared he would never mate with a human, so why would he change his mind now and do so with her? Was he only offering this so she would feel rewarded for helping him? Or did he truly want her by his side?

Kagome let out a deep sigh, unintentionally attracting the attention of Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru placed the Kyosetsu back into his belt, and turned to face to woman behind him. Her eyes were closed as she lay down, hands behind her head, shiny back hair was everywhere, and her school uniform top was raised a little bit above her belly button, revealing the smooth surface of her stomach.

Sesshomaru had been trying to avoid looking at her to keep his emotions in check, but he couldn't look away forever. She was so gorgeous. The way his body had taken over his mind the night before had alarmed him, for he had never been one to 'lose control' before.

What Kagome did not know was that Sesshomaru had been thinking about the kiss as well; and he wanted more.

He no longer cared that she was a human, his heart had long ago thrown that concern away. Now he wanted her, and that scared him. He had to concentrate on retrieving the rest of Kyosetsu.

Still, the intense feeling that had grasped his heart when he saw the snake demon coming towards Kagome had made him act so strangely. Was that what it felt like to care about someone? For a moment he was truly afraid and when he struck the demon, he fought harder than he had ever fought in his life. Was she the key? More and more he was starting to believe it...

The kiss had ignited something inside of him, and he was very angry with himself for going against his own beliefs. He had to control his urges.

His eyes watched Kagome's breasts rise and fall with each breath she took.

'Damn it all!' he thought angrily. Had he lowered himself to nothing more than a letch? If he was going to feel this way about her, he might as well use it to his advantage.

Perhaps a mate wouldn't be so bad...

Kagome opened her eyes and noticed he was looking at her. More accurately, he was looking at all of her. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. Any other time she would have yelled out hentai and left, but something about the way he observed her made her like it. Since when did Sesshomaru stare at her?

Knowing he was caught, Sesshomaru looked away again.

"Is there something you want to say to me Sesshomaru?" Kagome pried. Maybe striking up a conversation would ease the tension.

"No," he said flatly.

Kagome could not take it anymore, she was tired of playing mind games with this family!

Kagome stood up and marched towards the well, deciding to go home for the evening. She wanted to go to bed and think, since she obviously wasn't getting any sleep here...

"Where are you going Kagome?"

"Home."

"We still have pieces to find."

"I know, but until you decide to be civil, and to quit pouting for kissing me, I'll be at home in my own bed!" she yelled at him. Inside, Kagome hoped she could force some answers out of him.

Sesshomaru was the one flabbergasted for a change. Pouting? He wasn't familiar with this term, but he knew he didn't like it.

"I will have you know, Lady Kagome, I am not pouting!" he stated a little louder than he meant to.

Kagome laughed at him, it was incredibly funny to see Sesshomaru get upset.

"Why are you laughing?" he asked, a little cooler than earlier.

"You are so upset over something you don't understand! Why can't you just admit that maybe humans aren't so bad?"

Sesshomaru was on her in a moment, pinning her hands above her head. Kagome turned her face away from him, anticipating a slap or something of that nature.

"Look at me Kagome," he instructed calmly.

Kagome slowly turned toward him. His eyes were intense, and his hair was blowing wildly behind him.

"I have already told you I would never strike you. Why do you not trust me?"

Kagome's eyes started to water. She realized her hands were free and she brought them around him in an embrace.

"I do!" she sobbed.

Sesshomaru lowered his arm and held her against him, forgetting his earlier promise to himself. He couldn't help it if this woman held some power over him, but he did not like to see her cry.

"I care about you Sesshomaru!" she yelled into his chest.

"Do not cry Kagome," he said softly as he soothed her long hair.

The sun was going down and the stars were starting to come out. Kagome looked up at Sesshomaru and smiled as she wiped away her tears. So he did care about her...

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed a glow coming from Sesshomaru's belt. It was the Kyosetsu piece!

"Sesshomaru! Look, it's glowing like it did last night!"

Sesshomaru looked down and saw to his surprise that it was.

"I can only see its glow at night! That's why we haven't been able to track it during the day!" Kagome exclaimed.

Sesshomaru let a smile creep across his face. It made perfect sense, they would have to search at night from now on. He gazed at Kagome, filled with a little bit of pride at her solving the small mystery.

"Tomorrow night we shall start searching."

Kagome nodded her head.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Sesshomaru! Where have you been? We were worried about you, or at least I was!" shouted an exhausted Jaken.

"I wasn't because I knew he was with Lady Kagome, Jaken!" came Rin.

Sesshomaru informed them of the new revelation and sent them off to gather some supplies for the next week.

Kagome was about to follow them when Sesshomaru grasped her hand.

"You and I still have unfinished business," he affirmed.

Kagome looked at him with wonder, she couldn't get over how mysterious he looked under the full moon.

"What unfinished business?" she asked.

He leaned in and kissed her again, this time slowly and even more passionately. His arm encircled her waist, pulling her nearer to him. Kagome felt as though her knees would fall from under her. Was this what love was like?

When the kiss finally ended, Kagome wobbled but managed to stay standing. Sesshomaru smiled at her and headed towards the stream back by their camp.

She knew he cared about her, but did he love her? Kagome was sure she would show him that loving a human couldn't be that bad.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

He turned slowly towards her with the same dazzling smile.

"For a swim. Demons have to cleanse too."

'This could get exciting' Kagome thought.

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End of Chapter 5

How did ya like it Kids? Sorry about the lack of action, but hey, it is a ROMANCE! LOL, anyway, I gotta go get a tooth pulled tomorrow, but I will try to get another chapter up by then if I can! (I better get some compliments on my timeliness! LOL) also, very IMPORTANT, well sort of. I'm an art major, and for one of my projects, I have been doing a bunch of FANART for this story, so post a review if you are interested in seeing it, k? Next chapter will be great! I promise!

Love, Sophie


	6. Royal Flush

Otherside

Chapter 6: Royal Flush

Hey seamonkeys (oops, someone's been hanging out with captain Murphy!) Just thought I would try to be timely and post this chapter asap. I have received so much positive feedback about this story so far! Thank you so much! Also, I know you pervs (LOL) are all excited about the possible bath scene coming up and I will try not to disappoint! Also, I know I pitch this a lot, but I HAVE FAN ART FOR THIS STORY! I'm just wanting to see the reaction I get so I'll know whether I should post it or not..LOL.

**Ps YOU GOTTA LISTEN TO the Red Hot Chili Peppers album 'By the Way' to totally groove on this story. RHCP totally gets me in the writing mood, especially their past 2 albums!**

Well, I won't keep ya waiting anymore, I proudly present chapter 6, Royal Flush!

Standard disclaimers apply

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Royal Flush

Kagome whipped her head around so fast, she was sure she heard something snap.

"OW!" she squealed.

Sesshomaru chuckled lightly, something that was terribly unusual for him to do.

Kagome was tempted but did not dare face him, for she was afraid of what she would see.

'A bath?! Since when do demons take baths?!' she was baffled. InuYasha had never bathed...at least not around her!

She looked down and saw pieces of Sesshomaru's armor scattered everywhere, reminding her of her present situation. Rin and Jaken were gone, gathering supplies for the next week, and she was stuck with a very attractive naked demon!

Kagome kept her head down as she continued to gather the clothing from the ground, forcing her head to stay down. She was no hentai!

Still, it was very comforting to know that he had a light side, though a spontaneous one!

She had finally gathered everything and was starting to walk back to camp when she realized she had left her bag back by the edge of the stream that Sesshomaru was swimming in...naked.

'UG!' she anguished. This could get dirty...

Sesshomaru floated effortlessly around in the stream the same way he had done for a thousand years. It had been forever since he had been in such a good mood.

His body suddenly felt more alive than it had in a long time, and it was all because of that kiss. His frozen heart had started to thaw, and he was starting to accept the fact that this woman had power over him...

'I will take her as a mate, there is no doubt as to that,' he thought.

His brow furrowed slightly. What if she did not want a mate? She is young, even by human standards.

Human.

He did not think about the fact that she was mortal. He didn't want to.

She was a priestess, and in a way, still was. Surely there was some way she could prolong her life...

'The Kyosetsu! It is the only way!'

He stood up in the water, thankful for his new revelation. All they had to do was find the rest of the stone!

Sesshomaru drew his shimmering wet hair into a ponytail with his hand in an attempt to keep it behind his shoulders and out of his face.

He looked down at his right hand, and then at what remained of his left arm. When he was clothed, you barely noticed that he was missing an arm, but he did. It was something that shamed him, particularly because it was caused by his half-breed brother. Everything in his life now somehow seemed to be connected to InuYasha. Even Kagome!

Kagome, would she care that he disfigured?

His heart told him no, and he believed it. He was not one who liked to share his weaknesses with others, but now it seemed not to matter. This woman made him feel empowered, and she saw through his cold exterior.

She had told him she 'cared about him'.

He wanted more than that, he wanted her to love him.

How?

Kagome tried to keep her eyes shut as she used her hands to feel for her bag. She was not having any luck with this.

Sesshomaru turned around and saw her crawling around on all fours like a blind man. What was she doing?

"Kagome?"

Kagome jumped up in surprise, accidentally opening her eyes to see a _very_ nude Sesshomaru...

"Didn't we all ready do this Sesshomaru? Only I was naked and you were- oh nevermind!" she yelled in exasperation. She had given up trying to be modest long ago.

Sesshomaru stood up in full view, obviously very comfortable with his body. He had to stifle a laugh (which he did often now) when Kagome tried to cover her eyes with her hands.

If she didn't want to swim with him, maybe he'd just have to make her!

With one swift movement, he reached forward and grabbed the woman, dragging her into the cold stream!

Kagome came up out of the water looking a lot like an angry creature of the Black Lagoon, arms forward and a lot of gagging.

Sesshomaru's right arm came to her forehead and pushed all the jet black hair out of her face, then came to her sailor shirt and started tugging on it.

Kagome was more than a little angry.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU BIG DEMON PERV!" she shouted.

Sesshomaru relished in the moment, trying to savor it while he could. It was not everyday that he was able to be light hearted and not worry about being his usual emotionless self.

"I want you to swim with me," he ordered.

Kagome stood in the shoulder height water, freezing and annoyed.

Perhaps another time she would have eagerly played along with Sesshomaru's jovial mood, but being that the water was freezing, and this was her last pair of clean clothes, she was fuming.

"Like I said, didn't we do this-"she stopped.

It was then she got a good look at the Adonis-like demon.

He was sculpted better than any statue, and his eyes flickered like the stream. The only thing off was his left arm...

Sesshomaru noticed the bra and panty clad woman was staring at his arm, and suddenly his mood turned sour.

"Yes, that is where that whelp cut my arm," he said with disdain. His worst fears were correct, the girl had gone straight for his weakness.

He started to get out of the water when he felt a smooth hand caress his shoulder. He turned towards its owner and looked into her eyes. The pity he feared was not there, only concern.

"Did it hurt?" she asked softly.

"Feh," he said unconcerned, "it takes more than a scratch to take down a demon as mighty as myself."

Kagome walked towards him and encircled her arms around his waist. Sesshomaru breathed in deeply and watched cautiously as the girl pressed her lips against his left shoulder and kissed him.

"I know it hurt, Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru looked into her tear-filled eyes. Was she crying for him?

"I do not need your pity, Kagome."

"I do not pity you, Sesshomaru. I do worry about you."

Sesshomaru turned away, pained at her reaction.

"Why would you worry about me? I am a demon. Humans and demons were never meant to coexist, much less worry about one another."

He got out and walked towards where his clothing was piled at. His eyes darted to Kagome as she rose slowly out of the water, wearing nothing but a bra and skirt. His heart softened as he took her in again, he knew he could not be angry with her.

"I do worry Sesshomaru. I can't lose you, not now."

Sesshomaru merely continued dressing, pretending to ignore her.

Kagome, tears filling her eyes, dressed and walked in the direction of the well. When she disappeared from sight Sesshomaru mentally slapped himself.

'Why would you let her leave? She was trying to show you she doesn't care about your flaws!' his conscience scolded.

He clenched his hand around Tokijin and with one fell swoop sliced it into the water, causing a massive wave. He was so angry with himself.

'I had best go retrieve her before she gets herself into trouble,' he thought.

'Ahhhhh! Sesshomaru! Help!" came a scream from the woods.

Sesshomaru's heart froze in his chest.

"Kagome!" he yelled.

Without a second thought he dashed into the woods to try to save the woman who held his heart captive...

End of chapter 6! You like?

Thanks so much for the reviews guys! Sorry everything the chapters are so small, but I want to give the story a book feel, and I HATE rushed fanfics. Let me know how you feel about this one...what happened to Kagome? Will Sesshomaru finally admit he loves her? Will there be more nudity? LOL guess we'll see on Monday! EMAIL ME EMAIL ME EMAIL ME! I want your comments! Love you all!

Sophie


	7. Silver Streak

Otherside

Chapter 7-Silver Streak

Hey guys, sorry about the 3 day hiatus, but a girl's gotta do some homework so she wont fail her tests and lose her scholarship and get kicked outta school....whew. Now that the hard part's over, let's continue...

When I checked my email today, I was happy to have received over 63 emails (no joke!) over the weekend about this story! Thanks you guys! So instead of going to boring Calculus...I'm gonna continue writing! Yay! I know you guys were pissed about the cliffhanger (ha ha ha) but don't worry, now I'm back! I use a lot of exclamation points!

This chapter continues with Kagome's cry for help...and Fluff's reaction. I know some of you say his behavior is OOC (gawd I hate that term!) and that is okay, but that is the point of a fan fic, to show another story, point of view, and side of the characters!!!! Now that's off my chest, we'll go ahead with chapter 7 (my how it's grown! )

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Silver Streak

Sesshomaru dashed from treetop to treetop as quick as lightning in his desperate search for Kagome. The longer he searched, the more fearful he became of what had happened to her. He was so angry with himself for acting angry towards her, it was sickening.

"Let go of me! Sesshomaru, help!"

He heard her cries and rushed towards her. Whoever had taken her had better prepare to die fast, for no one takes what belongs to Sesshomaru...

"Is this the one the Lady wanted?"

"Yeah, I think so. She said she wore strange clothes and had a real attitude..."

"She didn't say she would be such an attractive creature!"

Kagome sat tied to a large rock as she watched the two trolls talk about her. Her voice was almost gone from screaming at them and she had cuts and bruises all over her body from the struggle.

The tall ugly brown troll eyed her suspiciously.

"Maybe we should take her for ourselves," he said greedily.

The small fat yellow one kicked the other one in the shin.

"You know it ain't easy to get jewel shards these days, Ganseki!" the short one scolded.

As they argued amongst themselves, Kagome tried without luck to reach her bow and arrows. 'Damn!' she thought.

'If only I hadn't upset Sesshomaru, maybe then he'd clobber these idiots!'

Kagome missed him already, she realized.

Sesshomaru had been searching for what seemed like hours when he came upon the campsite of Kagome's kidnappers. He climbed stealthily down the branches and crouched behind a large rock to get a better view. Kagome's scent filled his senses, and he knew she was close, but something was wrong. His senses indicated that she was right in front of him, but that couldn't be possible. All that was in front of him was a large rock with rope tied around it...

He dashed to the other side of the camp, using the trees for cover. There he saw that his senses were correct, Kagome was tied to the other side of the rock he had been hiding behind! She looked as though she had been dragged and roughed up a little.

Anger filled his senses like air and he clenched his fists until blood trickled down his hands. How dare someone hurt her!

His attention darted over to two large trolls who seemed to be fighting over a piece of meat. Those idiots were Kagome's kidnappers?

Sesshomaru was angry, but not stupid. He knew better than to go rushing in without knowing what he was up against. He could easily take down the trolls, but more than that, he wanted to know why they had taken her. Trolls were known for being stupid, but they never took on tasks as risky as kidnapping without a price. Sesshomaru wanted to know why they chose Kagome...

"What do you mean she's dangerous?" asked the tall one, Ganseki.

"The Lady said that this girl has the power to kill hundreds of demons with a single arrow!"

"What?"

"Yeah, and also that she kills trolls for fun!"

"Oh, really?"

They both looked over at Kagome with deadly glares.

Kagome stopped wriggling against the ropes and looked at her captors. No longer looking like idiots, they now had the look of vengeful killers.

'Uh-oh.'

"Kill trolls for fun, huh?" asked Ganseki.

"No! I never-!"

"We'll show you..."

The short one reached into his pocket and pulled out two black jewel pieces. Kagome instantly recognized them as pieces of Kyosetsu!

"You think we should use these now, Odaku?"

"Yeah, the Lady said these would make us more powerful than any troll or demon, even more powerful than that Sesshomaru she keeps yelling for!"

"You know, she looks a lot like the Lady..." Ganseki noticed.

"Good, I've always wanted to kill my boss!" laughed Odaku as he handed Ganseki a piece of the crystal.

They each placed a piece onto their hearts and instantly the Kyosetsu pieces disappeared! As it did, the trolls grew nearly double their size and their eyes turned white. They were transforming!

"Ha! That Kikyou was right! These are some powerful rocks!" laughed Odaku.

"Yeah, we should forget the deal and have our way with this one! We'll show her what happens to troll-killers!" shouted Ganseki.

"Kikyou was behind this?!" Kagome cried.

"So? She doesn't matter now. After we have our fun with you, we're going to rip out your heart and eat it!"

Odaku grabbed hold of Kagome's shirt and ripped it off, leaving her exposed. She shrieked in fear.

"Shut up!" yelled Odaku, "There ain't no one here to save you."

"If Sesshomaru were here he'd kill you!" Kagome cried.

Ganseki leaned forward to rip off the rest of her clothes, so Kagome spit in his face.

"Why you wench!" he growled.

Ganseki raised a massive hand to strike Kagome, but it never came.

All she heard was a growl, like some sort of wild beast.

She looked up to see a flash of white, and then red. Red everywhere. Blood.

Kagome was so dazed at this point all she saw were streaks of color. She heard Ganseki scream as something cut through him, though she couldn't really see what. Realizing this might be her only chance, Kagome stretched her foot as far as she could and managed to pull her arrow pouch towards her. Somehow she pulled one out and used the tip to cut through her bindings. She was free!

A little dizzy at first, she managed to stand on her own as she tried to grasp what was going on around her.

Her eyes focused on a streak of silver. Sesshomaru?

The troll who tried to hit her was lying on the ground, in a pool of his own blood. Sesshomaru loomed over him, sword in hand, slashing at his body even though he was already dead.

'He saved me? De did all this?'

'He does care!' her mind cheered.

The other troll, Odaku stood up behind Sesshomaru. He pulled a large sword out of his belt and held it high in the air, ready to strike him.

"SESSHOMARU!" Kagome screamed.

Sesshomaru turned towards her, his face twisted with anger. In slow motion it seemed, he looked up and saw the creature bring its sword down towards him.

Drawing her bow, she aimed straight for the troll's heart.

"Please," she whispered to herself as she let it go.

The arrow hit its mark with deadly accuracy. The trolls were dead.

A blood covered Sesshomaru rushing over to her was the last thing Kagome saw before she passed out.

End of Chapter 7

All right! How did you like it? I hope you did, I always get nervous about my action scenes! ; P Chapter 8 should be out tomorrow, I promise to try. It's hard writing 2 fics at once! My other fic I just started probably wont be put out until next week, and some of you will hate it because it's a Inu Yasha and Kagome fic. (sorry, I fancy both couples!) and it is VERY loosely based on Alexandre Dumas' Count of Monte Cristo.

ALSO!!!!!! Fan art for this story should be posted tomorrow (Tuesday, October26) as well, but I make no guarantees! My scanner is a jerk...

All right, that's it for now, please email me and review guys! You are all so awesome about it...here's a big internet hug! Love ya lots,

Sophie


	8. Progress

Otherside

Chapter 8: Progress

Hey everyone, how's it going? I've been bustin' ass (pardon the term) to try to get organized and to get these out in time for all of you guys, but hey...I'm more of a spontaneous person!

All right...chapter 7 got me some good emails! (Especially from all those Kikyou haters out there...) Finally some action! LOL. Anyhoo.... Chapter 8 is about the aftermath of the troll incident (don't know why I chose trolls...LOL) and now that they now have 3 of the 6 pieces, how will they get the rest? And why does Kikyou want Kagome? How did she get a hold of 2 pieces of Kyosetsu? Find out now!

More R rated stuff here, just so you know

Standard InuYasha disclaimers apply

Progress...

"Kagome! Kagome wake up!"

Sesshomaru sat on the ground cradling Kagome's unconscious body like a precious jewel. He had tried calling her name and pouring cool water on her forehead, but nothing had worked.

After turning around and finding himself face to face with the troll that held its sword high above its head ready to strike, he didn't have time to react. The only thing that saved him was Kagome's arrow, which struck the massive beast right through the heart. When he ran to her, she collapsed and had not awakened since.

His heart was racing from the pure adrenaline rush from the attack. The brutes had been much harder to kill than he could have imagined, probably due to the Kyosetsu jewels he watched them use. He would be dead had it not been for Kagome, his Kagome...

Sesshomaru mentally cursed himself for waiting so long to attack. Had he assaulted earlier, he might have been able to prevent Kagome from harm. His blood boiled as he made himself sit there and watch as they babbled back and forth about what to do with her as though she was no more than so sort of toy. Yet he forced himself to wait until he could gather more information, especially about who was behind it all...Kikyou. That foul heathen from Hell! This was all her fault!

"Don't worry Kagome, I swear I'll get her for this..." he whispered.

Gently picking her up, Sesshomaru cradled her in his arm and carried her back to their lodging.

Kagome's Dream

"Sesshomaru! Don't leave me!" Kagome screamed.

Sesshomaru turned away and started to leave. Kagome tried to rise but her legs felt heavy as lead.

"I'm sorry Sesshomaru! Please don't leave!"

Still the shadowy figure continued to disappear more and more.

"I love you!" she shouted as hard as she could.

Sesshomaru leaned his back against the wall of the wooden hut. It had been two days and Kagome still had yet to awaken. She had been tossing and turning a lot, and mumbling things he could not understand. He could tell she had been having bad nightmares, about what he didn't know.

While he'd been taking care of Kagome, he'd had plenty of time to think.

Sesshomaru thought about Kikyou, and how this was the second time this incarnation had

done some form of physical or mental harm to Kagome. He truly hated her, and his hate for his brother grew as well. How could a man treat a woman so badly? It sickened him that he was related to InuYasha.

'Father would have killed the little whelp himself were he alive!'

How did Kikyou manage to get her hands on the pieces of Kyosetsu? Did she have the gift of 'sight' now as well? She must have. Even more than that, why would she give such powerful weapons to idiots such as trolls? It was almost too much to process.

"_Sesshomaru, don't go..._" Kagome whimpered in her state of unrest.

Sesshomaru instantly rushed over to her and held her hand in his own.

"Kagome, I'm here! It's all right," he soothed.

Her eyes fluttered open and for a moment she looked at him.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured with a weak smile. Then she fell back asleep.

Sesshomaru let out a large sigh as he watched Kagome fall back asleep. It pained him to see her so weak. He figured the trolls had used some sort of herb to make her weak so she would put up less resistance. It had obviously taken a while to work, but it was working now.

'Those bastards!' he thought angrily. His fist still had cuts from where he clenched it so hard. He had felt himself changing when he saw the one beast rip Kagome's shirt.

Sesshomaru smiled. He would have killed him right there had Kagome not done the damage first. She had proudly stood there and proclaimed about Sesshomaru, even in the face of death. Even spit in the bastard's face!

Sesshomaru looked down at her sleeping form again. She had not been afraid. Even after turning his back on her for her honesty, Kagome still believed in him. No one had ever done that before, save Jaken.

When the troll had raised a hand to strike her, Sesshomaru knew it was a 'now-or-never' situation. He had attacked so ferociously, it didn't even seem like it was real. His anger had taken over him...

It still wasn't enough.

Kagome could have died.

Sesshomaru had burned the troll carcasses and retrieved the Kyosetsu pieces himself when night fell.

He now looked down at them with disdain. So much trouble had come all because of his search for power. Now the only woman he cared for, besides Rin, lay on a wooden floor, scratched and bruised.

'Now this quest is not just about power.' He thought.

This quest was about honor. He would eliminate the priestess Kikyou.

Kagome smelled something good.

She opened her eyes and looked around. Where was she? This place did not look familiar. Who had brought her there? She sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

'How long have I been asleep?'

Kagome looked down and saw that she was wearing some sort of silk robe. It was a deep shade of blue, and fastened at the waist. It was beautiful.

'I have to thank whoever let me stay here!'

She stood up and walked towards the door. Suddenly, the events before she fell unconscious came to her. She remembered the trolls, and Sesshomaru killing one, and how one was about to kill him...she shot it!

"Sesshomaru!" she yelled, panic stricken.

Suddenly she was running, yelling his name, praying he was alright.

"If you yell any louder, every demon this side of the mountains will rush over here."

Kagome turned around and smiled. Only one person was so dry with her...Sesshomaru.

Smiling her best smile, she dashed over to him and jumped up, wrapping her arms around him.

"I see you are feeling better."

Kagome nodded her head and hugged him tightly to her.

"I was so worried about you Sesshomaru! You saved me from those trolls! When that troll raised his sword, I thought-" she started to cry.

Sesshomaru held his hand to her face and smiled warmly.

"You showed your true power and killed him with a single arrow. Now we are even."

Kagome wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Forgetting her modesty (again), Kagome leaned forward and kissed him deeply. Sesshomaru returned it, and ran his hand along her exposed leg. Even he had to admit, she looked ravishing in that robe. He had ordered a concerned Rin and Jaken to purchase it, for he heard it had healing powers. Now with her chest heaving and the silk running across her smooth skin, Sesshomaru barely had the power to contain himself.

He had to stop before things went too far.

He could not mate with her yet, things had to be done first and the timing had to be right.

Reluctantly, he removed his lips from hers, and took his hand off her smooth leg and wrapped it around her waist.

They stared at each other for a moment before Sesshomaru decided to interrupt.

"Perhaps breakfast would do you some good," he stated.

Kagome smiled at him, pleased at the idea, still a little confused at what had just happened.

"Yeah, my stomach is more than a little empty."

She hopped down and started walking towards the source of the food.

"Kagome."

"Yes!"

"I'm glad you are well," he smiled. It was one of those genuine warm smiles that helped get Kagome through the day.

"Me, too," she said, smiling back.

Kagome ambled over to him and took his hand in hers and marched towards the food.

Rin and Jaken had already started, and both looked pleased to see Kagome.

"I'm glad you're awake and well, Lady Kagome!" Jaken declared between bites.

"Me, too!" chimed Rin.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome with pride. This woman had saved his life, and someday, soon he would spend the rest of his life protecting hers.

"That makes three of us," he said.

Kagome smiled at the group and sat down to eat.

Sesshomaru paced back to the hut and took out the Kyosetsu pieces, staring at their black shine.

"Kikyou has made her last mistake," he spoke as he rolled the pieces around in his hand.

"This time she will stay in the ground."

Whew! Okay, how was it? Sounds like Kikyou is in some trouble!!! I liked writing this one; it was fun to do it mostly from Fluffy's point of view. Sorry about the fan art situation, my scanner is being an idiot, so come pay day, I'm getting a new one! Chapter 9 will be out wed or Thursday at the latest! EMAIL POST REVIEW EMAIL POST REVIEW EMAIL POST REVIEW! Please! Thanks so much guys! Love you all!

Sophie


	9. Sticks and Stones

Otherside

Chapter 9- Sticks and Stones

Hi fellow fic readers! I know some of you are pretty steamed at me for not posting on the day I promised, but I apologize and have punished the parties responsible....(Damn you campus parties!) LOL...but seriously, I'm usually pretty good about it, so I figure a lazy bum like me is allowed to be late once in a while...

Well, I got some pretty cool postings from all you Kikyou haters out there. Thanks! I'm not a big fan of hers either (sorry to all you weird Kikyou lovers! LOL) so I figured it's time to penalize the pile of mud and bones. This chapter is gonna be pretty fun...I hope! It has some Kikyou, some Fluff and Kagome action, and of course...some nudity... okay, just kidding about that one. Or am I? well, here it is...

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Sticks and Stones

"What do you mean you don't have her?!"

"Just what I said lady, the guys handling her never showed up."

"Well, you had better find her, or else it's your hide!"

"Yes, Kikyou!" the short frog demon replied hastily, hopping off as fast as he could. He knew better than to anger the priestess.

Kikyou placed a hand to her forehead in aggravation. She should have known that those trolls would screw the whole thing up. Now she had to find someone else greedy and/or stupid enough to track the girl down.

Rolling three pieces of rock around in her hand, Kikyou tried to think of another way to acquire her incarnation. Luckily, she had stumbled upon the legend of Kyosetsu in her travels, and now had methods of persuading goons to do her bidding. She had no use for the stones, for they held no power in the hands of the undead. So what better form of paying those who do her dirty work?

The sun was setting, and Kikyou knew that time was running out. She had only a week left to find Kagome, cast the incantation on her and get the rest of her soul back. A smile crossed Kikyou's insipid face. Soon, she would be fully living again. Then she would not need her soul stealers to sustain her anymore, and her heart would beat again.

Kikyou would soon be among the living once more!

'Whish'.

Kikyou spun around to the source of the sound. Someone was watching her, and she knew exactly who...

"InuYasha! Come out, I know you are spying on me!"

The white haired dog-demon stood up from behind the tree he had been using as cover. He walked forward like a child caught sneaking his hand into the cookie jar.

InuYasha raised his eyes to Kikyou's suspicious ones, anticipating a stern lecture.

"Why have you been spying on me, InuYasha? Do you not trust me?" she asked seductively.

"I was just making sure no one was trying to hurt you, Kikyou," he said.

Kikyou knew better. She leaned in close to him, resting her head on his strong shoulders. He still had the same scent he had had for over fifty years.

InuYasha looked down at the woman he had long ago been in love with. This woman still had the same hair, the same eyes, and the same body as the Kikyou he had been in love with, yet this was not her. He closed his eyes and tried to lean in and kiss her, but the smell of mud and rotting flesh that constantly surrounded her made him pull back. That smell was a reminder that this was not _his_ Kikyou. Another thing was that this Kikyou was not the same loving and pure woman of fifty years ago. It seemed all this woman cared about now was revenge and death. Things were starting to add up...

"Why will you not kiss me InuYasha? Do you not find me beautiful?" she asked with a fake smile.

"Of course, Kikyou," he said nervously. He reluctantly kissed her, nearly gagging at her scent.

The only thing that kept him from throwing up was that he pretended it was Kagome he was kissing, not Kikyou.

Kikyou licked her lips. She could not feel anything as an undead. Soon, that would all change...

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

"Sesshomaru, can you help me?" Kagome asked innocently.

They were setting up for the day, and Kagome had just finished tucking Rin asleep. Even Jaken put up very little fight when it came to rest. He got a lot more sleep now that Kagome was there to keep Sesshomaru company.

"What do you need assistance with?" Sesshomaru asked casually.

Kagome looked over to the handsome demon, lying comfortably on the large bed in the center of the room.

"I can't get this fire going," she said meekly.

With the point of a finger, the hearth was lit, and the entire room was aglow. Kagome giggled. Sometimes she forgot how nice it was having a demon at her side.

It was midday outside, but you could hardly tell. Earlier in the morning the group had come upon an abandoned house, obviously a noble's, probably due to demon attacks. It was quite large and quite beautiful, and a shame to go to waste. It always looked as though it was nighttime inside, probably due to the lack of windows. Kagome had instantly suggested the party stay there and get some much earned rest after a long two days of traveling.

The luxurious home had two bedrooms, one with children's beds in it, and one with a single large king sized bed. The children's room was the obvious choice for Rin and Jaken. The beds in there fit them perfectly. The only problem lay with the other room...

Obviously the lord of the manor's bedroom, it contained only one bed. Usually Kagome wouldn't have a second thought about having to sleep in there, but this time there was one minor problem. Sesshomaru had been injured the day before, and needed rest himself. Being that the house had been looted, there was no other furniture in the home, except for the bed.

Kagome had volunteered to sleep on the floor of the living room, but Sesshomaru would not have it. Sesshomaru would have gladly slept on the floor himself, but Kagome would not allow it. His left side had a deep gash in it from a battle with creature from the continent, and could barely stand without aide. He would heal in a few days, but until then, he need to rest.

The only option was to share a bed, and that was not something they felt totally comfortable with. It wasn't that they didn't trust each other, but more that they didn't trust themselves...

Kagome rubbed her hands in front of the fire and faced Sesshomaru. His chest was wrapped in white gauze and he was clothed from the waist down. Kagome smiled at him. She had never seen him without his layers of armor and clothing. Even his fur piece was folded away!

"What are you looking at?" he asked with a grin.

Kagome blushed, embarrassed at being caught staring.

"Oh, nothing."

The only thing Kagome needed to do now was change into something to sleep in. Unfortunately the only clean things she had were two fancy robes. A blue one, which she had worn after the troll incident, and a red one, which looked more like something you would wear to an event than sleep in.

Hanging a sheet from the top rail of the bed so Sesshomaru couldn't see her change she stripped and started to put on her robe. What she didn't know was that the fire in the room made her a silhouette as she dressed, giving Sesshomaru quite a show. Sesshomaru opened an eye and sat up quickly, instantly feeling a shot of pain, reminding him of his injury. He ignored it as he watched her slim form through the sheet.

Kagome finished changing and took the sheet down, not noticing Sesshomaru had laid down only a second before. She cautiously lifted the covers and got in, trying hard to stay on her side of the imaginary line that separated her from Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru moved over, trying to do the same. It was hard for him as he looked at her, eyes sparking, hair flowing and skin glistening under the beautiful fabric of the red robe. He mentally praised himself for getting two of them.

Kagome turned away from him and lay on her side, trying to ignore the tension of the room.

'It's going to be a long night,' she thought.

Sesshomaru tried in vain to focus on the fire as Kagome's scent filled his nose.

'This will be a long night,' he thought.

Both lay there trying to concentrate on anything but each other, not noticing the creature stalking around in the darkness of the hall, watching them.

It licked its lips in excitement as it stared at its victim. The girl would be easy enough to capture. The demon to her right, however would be a problem. The demon was obviously one of incredible power.

I I I I I I I I I I I I I

"Lady Kikyou will reward you well if you bring the girl to her," the frog demon had said.

"Lady Kikyou shall get her girl, but what of the other?"

"Do whatever you will with him."

Otaru smiled evilly to himself. This would be too easy...

END OF CHAPTER 9

Sorry it was so short and took so long. I promise to hurry on chapter 10 and 11, hopefully I can push them both out on Monday. Thanks so much for being patient guys.

EMAIL POST REVIEW POST EMAIL REVIEW!

Much love,

Sophie


	10. Persuasions

Otherside

Chapter 10: Persuasions

Hey kids. How was your Halloween? Frylock, Meatwad and Master Shake kept me company, so it wasn't too bad. LOL. Anyway, I know some of you were pretty steamed because of the cliffy at the end of chapter 9, and because of the length, and I'm sorry. But hopefully this chapter will be a band aid to your chapter 9 wounds! : p

This is more of a continuation of chapter 9, pertaining to the bed sharing incident, and a little more of _senior cliffy._

This chapter is a little racy, so if you're fickle about love scenes (not that I guarantee one!) I recommend you skip some parts. THIS CHAPTER IS NOT A LEMON! just a serious R rating.

Standard disclaimers apply!

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

Persuasions

No matter how many times she tried to push it out of her mind, Kagome could not get over the fact that she was sharing a bed with Sesshomaru.

She had tossed and turned endlessly, trying in vain to force herself to sleep. Nothing had worked. The fireplace at the end of the room had only made her more aware of the man next to her; his warmth, his movements. It would be a difficult situation for any woman.

Kagome looked up at the ceiling above her. It had been painted by a very talented artist to show two people embracing, surrounded by clouds and spirits. Unfortunately, it only served as another reminder of the predicament Kagome was in.

'I know I am in love with him, but I can't bring myself to tell him,' she thought. It hadn't taken her long to all but forget InuYasha, but the scar his rejection left on her heart still had not healed. What if Sesshomaru didn't want her?

No, he had to feel something for her. What about that talk about making her his queen, or the times he'd rescued her, or kissed her?

Kagome bit her lip in anxiety. He hadn't said anything about how he actually _felt_ about her though, and that made it iffy.

She played innocently with the hem of her garment as she mentally debated how Sesshomaru felt about her, unaware of what was going on in the mind of the man next to her...

Sesshomaru had never been one who slept much. It gave him a strange feeling, knowing that he had missed some part of his life, and being a demon, he needed very little.

Of course, sharing a bed with a beautiful woman would count as a reason to skip rest as well.

Sesshomaru himself had tried to force his eyes shut, but Kagome's light scent was more powerful than eyesight. He would have turned on his side, but the wound was still a little sore. No matter what he did, he was stuck next to her.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lithe fingers playing with the neckline of her robe, flashing an occasional glimpse of cleavage. Sesshomaru shifted uncomfortably amidst the sea of blankets. 'Is she trying to torture me?' he thought.

After about an hour of contemplating, Kagome had decided she was tired of being seen as some innocent young girl. She knew she loved Sesshomaru, and she was 51 sure he felt the same. If she couldn't get him to say it, then maybe she could get him to show it...

Sesshomaru was just about to fall asleep when _it_ happened.

He had finally forced his eyes shut and managed to ignore her scent when he heard her.

"Oh, _Sesshomaru_..." Kagome had moaned.

Sesshomaru's eyes shot open and he sat up to face the sleeping vixen. Had she just moaned his name in ecstasy?

He stared hard at her innocent face, looking for a sign that would cause concern, but found none. Surely he hadn't imagined it.

His gaze fell to her chest, which was rising and falling slightly more than normal, indicating she was having some sort of dream.

'Is she dreaming about me?' he wondered.

'..that feels really good...' she moaned again.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. What kind of dream was she having where she said things like _that_?

Kagome rolled towards him, her hand innocently landing on his muscled abdomen.

This was too much for Sesshomaru. He had to leave now before he lost control of himself and escalated the situation. Unfortunately, though he was strong enough to sit up and move around on the bed, he would not be able to stand without Kagome's help.

He knew he was trapped.

Sesshomaru's stare fell to her angelic face, framed by her long chocolate colored locks of hair. Her lips were a deep red from her state of unrest, and her long, black lashes rested lightly on her cheekbones.

The final straw came as he noticed a long pale leg extend from the satin robe, leading up to a nearly exposed hip...

Sesshomaru could take it no more.

Turning his body towards the vixen, he lowered himself until her face was but a few inches from his.

Wrapping his arm around her he gently pulled her towards him until her body was in full contact with his.

Kagome's large blue eyes opened, and she smiled brightly at him, thankful for his advances.

Sesshomaru smiled back at her, and leaned forward to meet her in a kiss. Her soft tongue licked at his, making him respond even more. Sesshomaru brought his hand to her leg and held her tightly to him. He could not stop himself now, and neither could Kagome.

Kagome broke the kiss and stared at him with a look of concern on her face.

"What is it Kagome, have I hurt you?" he asked, genuinely concerned.

Kagome shook her head. "No, it's just that..."

Sesshomaru knew what she was going to say, he could see it in her eyes.

"You have never done this before?" he asked, smiling at her.

Kagome blushed, she had no idea it was so obvious.

"It is alright Kagome, I will be gentle."

"I know, it's just that, I don't want to get hurt again..." her eyes started to water.

Sesshomaru looked at her and understood. She was afraid he would break her heart the same was InuYasha had.

"I love you Sesshomaru, I really do. I don't think I could ever go back to being the woman I was. I could never be without you!" she openly cried and wrapped her arms around him.

Sesshomaru held her as well, unable to speak.

After a moment he held her face in his hand and spoke to her.

"Though I may not look it Kagome, I am not an evil being. Though I do not hesitate to take down those who go against me, I do not kill without reason. Though I do not say that I love, does not mean that I do not. Do you understand?"

Kagome nodded her head lightly, tears trailing down her face.

"I may not have always done things you would consider to be 'good' or 'pure', but I would never do anything to hurt you. InuYasha may be my brother, but we are nothing alike. I would never hurt you, Kagome. Never."

Sesshomaru then held Kagome close to him and kissed her face until her tears were gone.

They held each other like that until sleep overpowered them, and evening came.

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

After two hours of silence, it looked as though the coast was clear.

Koeki crept noiselessly through the door of the master bedroom, towards the sleeping couple. His instructions had been clear. Obtain the girl, dispose of the demon.

Now standing over the demon and his woman, Koeki reached into his robes, pulling out a small leaf. Placing it over the nose of Sesshomaru, he backed away stealthily, waiting for movement. Nothing happened.

Koeki showed a gruesome smile. The stone leaf was being inhaled into Sesshomaru's system, and within a few hours, he would be a lifeless statue.

'Perfect,' he thought.

Then he reached into his robes again and pulled out a flute-like instrument. Koeki blew into it and instantly Kagome arose. Sesshomaru opened his eyes to see the great lizard standing over him, and Kagome walking to it.

"Kagome!" he yelled viciously as he tried to sit up. It was useless, he was paralyzed!

The zombie-like Kagome turned towards Sesshomaru and he knew that he could not get through to her, she was under some trance.

"Come, Kagome. Kikyou is waiting for you!" Koeki exclaimed.

Kagome walked towards the door, as she was told. Sesshomaru tried to move again, getting the same results. The only thing he could to was breathe and talk.

"Leave her alone! Take me instead!" he yelled with all his effort.

Koeki faced him and gave an evil grin.

"Kikyou has no use for you, only the girl, Sesshomaru. She did however want me to give you this..." Koeki pulled three stones from his pocket and laid it on Sesshomaru's chest.

"I have no need for Kyosetsu, for I am a deathseeker and the stones are useless to myself and the Lady Kikyou. These are your payment for the girl. That's what you wanted, am I correct?"

Sesshomaru yelled in anger and frustration, helpless and the creature led his future queen away.

He knew he had to get out of this. If Kikyou wanted Kagome so badly, it couldn't be for a chat...

END OF CHAPTER 10

Okay, I know I say this all the time, but did you like it? I hope so, it took forever to write! I know I'll get angry posts because of the cliffy, but hey, ya know you guys love me! LOL. New chapter will be out asap! Hopefully the new scanner will be at my house by Wednesday! POST EMAIL REVIEW POST EMAIL REVIEW!

Much love,

Sophie


	11. Good Riddance

Otherside

Chapter 11: Good Riddance

Okay, here is chapter 11. Now, I know you guys are just dying to start reading so I will make this quick. Most of you hate Kikyou, I detest Kikyou, and I think even Kikyou hates Kikyou! Sesshomaru is still frozen and Kagome has been kidnapped. Kikyou needs Kagome so she can reclaim the rest of her soul, but that would mean curtains for Kagome. Will Sesshomaru get free in time? Ha ha ha...guess you'll just have to read.

Standard disclaimers apply.

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Good Riddance

"Kago...me..." Sesshomaru moaned weakly.

His whole body had started to feel heavier and heavier. He could only guess what type of incantation that blasted lizard had placed on him...

Every moment was precious, for Sesshomaru had an idea of what Kikyou wanted Kagome for, and it was not a very nice one. He had to break free of this stone spell, but how? He couldn't even move his hand to reach his sword or point a finger at himself.

Jaken! Yes, maybe if he could get Jaken's attention, then he would be able to lift it. After all, curses and spells were Jaken's specialty.

"Jaken! Come, your master needs you!" Sesshomaru instructed. His voice had started to waiver, and he could feel his insides growing heavier.

Before he could call a second time, Jaken was at his side.

"What is it my Lord?" he asked worriedly.

When Sesshomaru moved his lips, it became quite obvious. Sesshomaru had been afflicted with a stone spell. Jaken wiped his brow with a wrinkled green hand. There was no time to lose. He would need to use his staff of two heads to reverse the affects.

Jaken looked to his left and noticed Rin was standing next to him. She had a look of deep concern on her face.

"Where is Lady Kagome?" she asked.

Jaken hadn't noticed Kagome's absence until then. Had she been taken again? That would explain why someone had put a hex on Sesshomaru...

"Rin, if you want to help Lord Sesshomaru, then you must help me."

Rin nodded her head, she was always eager to help her master and repay his kindness.

"Good," said Jaken, "go into the other room and grab my staff. Be careful not to touch the top, for the heads with curse you and make you one of them!"

Once again, Rin nodded eagerly, and rushed off to find Jaken's staff. She could only hope he would help Sesshomaru.

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"Here she is Kikyou. Where do you want me to place her?"

Kikyou looked up from the fire she was tending and smiled. He had the girl! Now she could start working on retrieving her soul.

"Place her over there by the cave entrance, but _gently_. That is _my_ soul your handling," she smirked.

The old lizard lay her down upon a pile of leaves and cleared his throat. Koeki had never been an ally of the infamous priestess Kikyou, but when the price was right, he could never say no.

"I have done as you have asked, Kikyou. Now you will honor your end of the deal and give me my payment..."

Kikyou looked at him and gave him an evil smirk. Greed had proved to be a powerful ally in her thirst for life, but greed had a price.

"Of course Koeki, here is your just reward," she made her fingers into the shape of an 'L' and pointed it at him.

"L-Lady Kikyou, what are you doing?!" he panicked.

"Giving you what you wanted, of course!" Suddenly a powerful light came from her fingers. When the light dissipated, Koeki was gone.

"Hmph," Kikyou remarked, "I guess being a death seeker never pays off."

She then turned to focus her attention on the girl. Her reincarnation had been more difficult to retrieve than anticipated. Kikyou had thought that after persuading InuYasha to leave Kagome, that the girl would be an easy grab. She had proved to be everything but easy. Then again, she was Kikyou's reincarnation, and Kikyou had never been an easy one to catch either.

Kikyou placed a hand on Kagome's forehead. Instantly she felt a surge of emotions and memories that were not her own. She pulled her hand back as fast as she could, panting and out of breath. Someone had placed a protection spell on the girl, but who?

"Sesshomaru," she muttered.

That demon had been a thorn in her side for more than fifty years. Now he had apparently taken a liking to her reincarnation. The only way to get rid of the protection spell was to make the person who had placed it upon Kagome denounce her.

'Maybe I could get into his head first. I could torture him mentally to make him think Kagome betrayed him,' she thought.

'If his temper is anything like his brother's, he'll denounce her. I just have to play this out right...'

Kikyou threw an ingredient into the fire.

"This should get entertaining," she laughed as she walked to the fire where her materials lay, unaware that she was being watched...

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InuYasha clenched his fists in anger. It was obvious that he had been used to make Kikyou's job easier, and InuYasha did not like to be used.

"How dare she!" he yelled aloud.

He had long suspected that she was up to something, and now it was painfully obvious. This 'thing' was not Kikyou. Kikyou would never harm someone for no apparent reason, especially herself! He had to do something, but what?

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"It's no use Rin. I've done all I can for him. Even to power of the staff of two heads cannot reverse this stone curse!" Jaken said sympathetically.

Jaken could not understand why none of his chants or even his staff had no effect on his master's ailment. He had used every trick in the book, and still was unable to help the man who had taken him in when no one else would.

This wasn't how it was supposed to be!

Rin wiped a tear from her eye and placed Sesshomaru's hand in her own. Sesshomaru couldn't die. Lord Sesshomaru was supposed to fall in love with Lady Kagome and live happily ever after with her and Jaken at their side! This was not the way her fairy tale was supposed to end...

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Sesshomaru was falling into darkness. All he could see was miles and miles of dark. He looked down and saw that he had both of his hands. Was he dead?

"_Sesshomaru_..."

He turned his head but could see nothing, but he could have sworn he had just heard a voice, and it sounded very familiar.

"_Sesshomaru_..."

There was a light a few feet ahead of him. If Sesshomaru could only reach it, then maybe he could figure out where he was.

Stepping through the light Sesshomaru looked around. He was in his father's tomb! To his left he saw InuYasha.

"What are you doing here?!" he yelled.

His brother ignored him. It seemed as though he was focusing on something else...

Sesshomaru turned to search for what held his attention. On his right he saw Kagome getting attacked by some demon.

"Kagome! Hold on!" he yelled, dashing towards the attacker.

Sesshomaru lunged forward with all his might, but stopped at the very last moment when he realized who the attacker was...it was him!

"What is going on here?!" he yelled out, but once again, everyone seemed to ignore him.

Then Sesshomaru realized what was going on. This had happened before!

He had used his brother's pupil to find his father's tomb where Tetsusaiga lay hidden. It was one of the first times he met Kagome.

InuYasha lay injured as Sesshomaru came towards Tetsusaiga, and the woman who tried to protect his brother.

Sesshomaru hung his head in shame as he watched his former self assault Kagome.

"I would never have done so had I known..." he murmured.

"_I know, Sesshomaru_," came the voice again.

This time it was close. He felt a hand on his shoulder and instantly he knew. It was Kagome!

"Kagome! How did you get here?" he asked suspiciously.

"We're not really _here_ Sesshomaru. This is a memory! You're unconscious," she explained.

Sesshomaru didn't understand.

"Why? Why are we here? You were kidnapped!" he remembered.

Kagome smiled at him.

"No I wasn't, I left on my own. I killed Kikyou and came back for you!" she giggled.

Kagome took him in her arms and kissed him, and Sesshomaru kissed her back. Something was not right...

Sesshomaru broke away for her kiss and looked at her strangely.

"What is it Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome.

"You said that you killed Kikyou for me?"

"Of course! I would do anything for you..."

Sesshomaru held her close again and smiled at her.

"Just making sure."

Kagome looked down and screamed. Blood was pouring out of her like a fountain.

"The _real_ Kagome would never kill another person, especially not to please me," he stated plainly, wiping the blood off his nails.

"Nice try Kikyou."

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Kikyou opened her eyes and felt something cold dripping down her stomach. She looked down and saw that blood pouring from a wound to her abdomen. Sesshomaru had been more powerful in the subconscious than she had anticipated.

"Curse him, he didn't take the bait!" she spat angrily.

This would be much harder than she thought.

There was only one option; she would have to reverse the effects of the stone curse Koeki had placed on him, and wait for him to come to her.

"So be it."

She pulled a leaf out of her satchel and threw it into the fire.

"Take back this curse laid upon him!" she yelled, then snapped her fingers.

'You're free now Sesshomaru. Come rescue your human maiden, it would be a shame to let her down.'

IIIIIIIII

Sesshomaru felt something warm on his cheek. It was a welcome sensation, for his whole body had felt like a block of ice not more than a few moments ago. Curiosity got the best of him and he opened his eyes to see a pair of big brown eyes staring back at him. The eyes blinked once, then twice, and then became very wide. He knew those eyes...

"Rin?" he asked.

The little girl sat straight up, eyes wide as saucers.

"Rin? Why are you crying?" he asked, unsure of what was happening around him.

He heard sobs coming from his other side. Big, loud, girlish sobs.

"Jaken! What is the matter with you two?" he asked sternly.

The two looked at each other, and then him.

"My lord?" Jaken asked.

"I asked you a question Jaken."

"SESSHOMARU!" Rin and Jaken yelled simultaneously. They rushed forward and embraced him.

"Master, forgive me! I-we thought you were dead!" Jaken lamented.

"I am fine," he laughed. It was good to be back in the real world again.

He looked down and saw that his wounds had healed as well. That was good, for he was going to need all his strength when he went after Kagome.

Sesshomaru stood up and removed his bandages.

"Get my armor ready, Jaken. I leave immediately," he stated.

"But Lord Sesshomaru, you shouldn't go alone! We will accompany you!" Jaken pleaded.

Sesshomaru sighed and turned towards Rin and Jaken. He placed his hand on Jaken's shoulder.

"I am sorry, old friend. This one, I handle alone."

END OF CHAPTER 11

Okay, okay, I know some of this was a little cheesy, but sometimes you gotta throw in some salt to make sweeter cookies...or something like that. Chapter 12 will be out SOON! EMAIL POST REVIEW!

Much Love

Sophie


	12. Old Habits

Otherside

Chapter 12: Old Habits

Hi guys. (Gosh this is awkward) Sorry I haven't posted in like three days. I've caught a bad case of laziness...but hopefully this chapter is the cure. I got a lot of positive feedback on chapter 11 (which I thought was my worst chapter besides 1), so as a special treat I have incorporated some ideas for plot points that you guys were nice enough to suggest for me. Awww. You guys are so cute, honestly. I have THE BEST fans!

Chapter 12 is one of those chapters that nearly caused a riot on the web because people were so anxious to read it. Too bad a riot on the web would be hilarious... This chapter picks up where Sesshomaru armors up and heads to out rescue Kagome and stop Kikyou. Time is running out and Kagome's soul is in danger, looks like its up to Sesshomaru to be the hero! (hey, its about time!)

Standard disclaimers apply.

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Old Habits

Sesshomaru knew exactly where they were.

He had picked up Kagome's light scent nearly five miles ago, and the further west he went, the stronger it became.

With Rin and Jaken remaining behind, Sesshomaru didn't have to worry about them becoming a liability. Not that he needed to worry about that; he feeling very determined. The only thing that was weighing on his mind was time. If Kikyou was planning on using Kagome to regain the rest of her soul, there would be no time to lose.

The only weapons he carried were his swords, Toukijin, and Tenseiga. He knew there was a chance he would need them. He also carried six small stone pieces in his satchel, which had caused him so much trouble.

Sesshomaru did not stop to rest as he ran through the grass, trees, mountains, and streams. He took no notice of what was around him, for he did not care. The only thing he had on his mind was saving Kagome.

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"Wake up Kagome."

Kagome opened her eyes slowly, allowing for adjustment as the glare from the moonlight came in. Her lids felt so heavy, as though she had been drugged.

Kagome sat up and instantly grimaced in pain. Her head felt like it had been hit with a hammer. What was going on?

"I'm glad to see you are awake, _Yamashi_..." (authors note Yamashi means imposter)

Kagome recognized the tone of voice immediately.

"I should have known, Kikyou," Kagome retorted.

Kikyou smiled. Where as Kikyou always kept herself cool and collected, her alter ego was fiery, and spirited. The notion amused Kikyou to no end.

"How many times have I told you to stay in your own time? I have tried to be nice, but apparently you don't know when to do as you're told, do you Yamashi?" Kikyou taunted.

"Stop calling me that Kikyou! You are the imposter. You know you have no place with the living!" Kagome spat.

Kikyou's face hardened. She did not like to be reminded of what had been taken away from her.

"I would watch my tongue if I were you girl. I could kill you now if I wanted to."

"I don't believe you!"

The wicked smile returned to Kikyou's face.

"Don't worry. You will soon enough. Tonight, you get to rejoin me Kagome. As one soul, we will collect the jewel shards, and no enemy will be able to defeat us. Not even your precious Sesshomaru!"

Kagome gasped. That was what Kikyou wanted?

"Sesshomaru! What have you done to him?"

"Oh nothing," Kikyou mocked, "he will be joining us shortly, I'm sure. Until then, you just relax."

Suddenly tree roots came out of the ground and wrapped themselves around Kagome's wrists and ankles. She was getting really tired of being tied up...

"If I can't get Sesshomaru to denounce Kagome, I can always get him to break the protection spell by killing her," Kikyou thought.

IIIIIIIIIIII

Sesshomaru was close now; Kagome's scent was practically on top of him. His heart pounded wildly in his chest as his mind was filled of thoughts of Kagome being in danger...

'_whish'_

Sesshomaru stopped. His keen hearing had picked something up. It was coming from up in the trees.

He smelled the air. In his quest to save Kagome, he had not noticed the scent of the other creature that had been following him, but he did now.

"InuYasha," he breathed.

As if on cue, InuYasha landed in front of him.

"As much as I desire your destruction, I do not have time to play childish games with you, InuYasha."

InuYasha smirked at him. Sesshomaru had never liked that cocky attitude of his.

"I'm not here to fight. I'm here because of Kagome," InuYasha said with disdain. He was still disgusted with himself for giving her up so easily.

In a heartbeat Sesshomaru was right on top of him, hand around InuYasha's throat. InuYasha's eyes grew wide with fear.

"Where is she?! What has your worthless Kikyou done with her?!" he yelled. His grip around InuYasha's throat tightened.

"That's what I came to tell you-"he gasped, "I know where she is. Kikyou is going to use you to break the protection spell you put on her, and then take her soul!"

Sesshomaru released his half-breed brother. InuYasha bent over and gasped for air.

"You had better not be lying, brother. For your sake."

InuYasha smiled as his brother. 'So he really has fallen for her...'

IIIIIIII

"There she is Sesshomaru. Kikyou has her tied up."

Sesshomaru checked out his surroundings. He saw his Kagome tied up by plant roots and his blood boiled. The only thing he didn't see was Kikyou.

"Where is Kikyou? Why do I not smell her?" he asked his brother.

InuYasha smelled the air. He couldn't find any trace of her either.

"I'm going in to get Kagome. If Kikyou's there, no trap will save her from my anger."

"Oh no you don't, Sesshomaru! I don't want Kikyou to harm Kagome any more that you do, but inside of that body of mud and bones, the old Kikyou is still alive!" InuYasha barked.

Sesshomaru's temper flared.

"How dare you try to protect that woman. You're the reason Kagome is in danger in the first place. You've hurt her worse than any thing Kikyou could inflict upon her!" Sesshomaru growled.

InuYasha knew when to shut up. Sesshomaru was right. Kagome had loved him, and he had chosen Kikyou who did not care for him anymore.

"Just get Kagome and get her out of here," InuYasha huffed.

Bored with arguing, Sesshomaru rushed in to free Kagome.

Kagome smiled when she saw Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru gave her a relieved look. He cut her bindings with his claws and scooped her up into his arms.

"Don't worry Kagome, I will get you out of here and make Kikyou pay," he said.

Kagome just leaned into him as he carried her towards safety.

"Sesshomaru, its Kikyou!" Kagome yelled.

Sesshomaru turned to see Kikyou rushing towards him. Had he not been so angry, he would have noticed the fact that her arms were wide open and she was smiling at him...

He also would have noticed that after he sat Kagome down, a wicked smile crossed her face as he unsheathed his Toukijin...

"Sesshomaru!" Kikyou yelled.

"Never again Kikyou!" he charged.

He rushed towards her, sword extended. As the blade pierced Kikyou's heart, tears welled up in her eyes.

"_Sesshomaru...no..."_ Kikyou moaned.

Sesshomaru withdrew his blade and watched Kikyou fall to the ground in shock from the wound to her heart.

He wiped the blade with his robe and turned back towards Kagome, expecting a sweet embrace from her...

Only it wasn't Kagome.

The woman who used to be Kagome looked a lot like her. She had those piercing eyes, and that long brown hair. But this woman was smiling, and it wasn't the loving kind.

"Kikyou," Sesshomaru snarled.

Kikyou laughed out loud at his anger. Her plan had worked perfectly.

"My, Sesshomaru. You're as handsome as ever. As impatient as ever too. If you would have waited a moment, you might have noticed that Kagome's scent had changed..."

"No...you're not saying..." Sesshomaru's voice trembled.

"I am. Look behind you..._lover_."

Sesshomaru turned around in slow motion. Lying in a bloody heap on the ground was his precious Kagome. Her hands were firmly covering her wounded chest, her body was covered in blood.

Sesshomaru looked down at his bloody sword. He recognized the scent now. It wasn't Kikyou's blood, it was Kagome's.

"NOOOO!" he roared.

Sesshomaru dropped his blade and dashed over to Kagome.

When he got to her, her hands were trembling, and her skin was pale as first winter's snow. She looked up at him with tearful eyes and a weak smile.

"Sesshomaru..." she said weakly.

Sesshomaru cradled her in his arm. His eyes were brimming with tears.

"Kagome, I-I-"

Kagome lifted a bloody hand to his cheek and stroked it. Tears rolled down her face, she was getting weaker.

"It's alright. I know Kikyou did this. Just remember-," she murmured.

"No Kagome, don't! I will get you to safety. I will find someone to heal you!" he pleaded.

"I love you Sesshomaru."

"I love you, Kagome. I was just too stubborn to say it. I LOVE YOU!" he screamed.

Sesshomaru looked down and saw that she wasn't breathing. Kagome was gone.

Sesshomaru's face had a single tear line, it was a single more than he had ever shed in his life. Gently laying Kagome's head on the soft grass, he leaned in and kissed her forehead.

He would avenge her.

There had to be a way to get her back.

"Let me know when you're ready," Kikyou taunted.

"First things first," Sesshomaru said aloud.

He bent down and picked up Toukijin, still covered in Kagome's blood. Sesshomaru's face was hard as stone again, and he was ready to end this.

"I'm ready."

END OF CHAPTER 12

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OMG! How did you like it? Sorry some stuff was a little on the soap opera side, but hey...you get what ya pay for (LOL...b/c it's free). I hope you enjoyed it, along with the cliffy. I know I'll get flames for that one...LOL. Just remember REVIEW POST EMAIL! I do check for them! Chapter 13 will be up Monday...scouts honor! Thanks to everyone who has made writing this story fun!

Much love

Sophie


	13. The Showdown

Otherside 

Chapter 13: Showdown

Hello dear friends and fans. Long time no see, no? I suppose I owe you an explanation. If you don't care, feel free to skip this part, but I seizured while I was driving (because I was too lazy to pick up my dilantin) and I was in a car accident. Don't worry, as you can see, I'm alive and pretty well, and now am here to make sure you guys get the rest of your chapters. Sorry for making you guys wait! But don't worry, like a good girlfriend, I promise to make it up to you…LOL (Hey perverts!)

Thanks for putting up with me readers. You're the best. I'm done complaining…ENJOY CHAPTER 13!

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Showdown

For a long time they stood there, staring straight at each other with glaring eyes.

Time seemed to stand still as they both contemplated their next move.

For Sesshomaru time did not go slow enough. His head was still buzzing with emotions, and his blood seemed to grow hotter and hotter every time it was pumped. He tried desperately to sort out his next move but only one thought seemed to come to mind: kill.

His demon side had taken over.

"What's the matter Sesshomaru? All bark and no bite?" Kikyou jeered.

Now that Kagome was dead she could feel her soul slowly coming back to her. The only problem was that she could not attain the rest of it without finishing her incantation. Only then would she be whole again.

Sesshomaru snarled at her.

"You will get your just reward Kikyou. You are merely a priestess of mud and bones, and that is all you will ever be!"

That was the spring that triggered the mouse trap.

Kikyou rushed blindly forward, bow drawn and arrow pointed. Sesshomaru met her half way and with Toukijin slashed her sacred bow into mere splinters. Kikyou's eyes grew wide with surprise. She had no idea he held this much power!

She retreated to a safe distance. If she couldn't shoot him, she would have to draw him to her…but how?

Sesshomaru had tactfully destroyed Kikyou's most valuable weapon, her bow. He could easily rush her now and destroy her with his Toukijin, but he had a feeling that was exactly what she wanted. He would have to wait for an opportune moment.

"Already I feel stronger Sesshomaru," Kikyou taunted, "Kagome's soul is a strong one; for a reincarnation."

"NO!" Sesshomaru shouted, "She is more than that! You will never be half the person she is. That's why you hate her so. She is everything that you could never be."

Now it was Kikyou who's blood was boiling. No matter, she would be victorious.

"You have developed quite a soft spot for her haven't you Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru looked away from Kikyou. He didn't like her knowing his weakness.

"That is why you made this so easy. That protection spell could only be broken if you denounced her. But killing her worked just as well," she said nonchalantly.

"You heartless wench! I swear I'll-" Sesshomaru growled.

"You'll what? You should be happy I spared you. I even paid you for your part. You now hold all six pieces of Kyosetsu, right?"

Sesshomaru absently placed a hand to his satchel full of Kyosetsu pieces. He had obtained them, but at what cost…

"No, I would never sacrifice her life for power. I am not a cruel hag like you. After I kill you, I will use Tenseiga to bring her back-" he was cut off by Kikyou's laughter.

"You are as clueless as your brother sometimes, Sesshomaru. Do you know nothing of the dull blade attached so securely to your waist?"

"What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"If you had ever tried to learn about the powerful sword your father gave you, you would know that it can bring back the life of any living thing," she paused.

"I know that. Why would it not work on Kagome then?!"

"Except," Kikyou continued, "the life of someone taken by your own hands."

"No, you lie Kikyou!"

Kikyou laughed.

"Go see for yourself then. My gift to you," she mocked.

Sesshomaru dashed over to Kagome's lifeless body. He raised Tenseiga high into the air and brought it down with one swift movement. Nothing. He tried again, and still the same results.

"What have I done?!" he lamented.

Sesshomaru turned to face Kikyou. He could no longer contain his anger. This would end now. It was the least he could do for Kagome.

Sword extended, Sesshomaru rushed at the undead priestess. When it seemed the point of his sword was just about to pierce her heart, he felt something cold and sharp pierce his. Stunned, he looked down and saw that Kikyou had pierced him with her own arrow.

Kikyou's face turned back into a cold smile.

With a last effort, Sesshomaru pushed Toukijin forward into her chest.

Simultaneously, the two enemies fell to the ground.

Kikyou held a cold hand to her wound. It was a mortal wound. Kikyou knew that ironically, now that she had more of Kagome's soul, it was her undoing. She was mortal.

"Kikyou!"

The priestess looked up to see the anguished look on the face of her one time love, InuYasha.

InuYasha knew that there was nothing he could do to help her. No matter how much he tried to tell himself this wasn't the real Kikyou, he could never shake his love for her. For a brief second, however, when he looked into Kikyou's eyes, he saw a flash of her old self, and it gave him some small piece of happiness.

Kikyou looked at InuYasha, then to Kagome laying dead on the ground about ten feet away from her, then to Sesshomaru, sitting up and calmly staring back at her. Kikyou was instantly reminded of her own life, cut tragically short, and the way it had affected everyone around her. The man she loved was imprisoned for fifty years, her younger sister had to grow up alone, and she had come back as an undead.

She understood that some things just weren't meant to be.

"InuYasha, come here," she gasped.

InuYasha obeyed and crouched down to place his hand under her head.

"Do me this last request before I die."

InuYasha's eyes threatened to brim over with tears, for now when he finally had the Kikyou he loved so, she was about to leave him again.

"Bring Kagome's body over here next to mine," she commanded weakly. She didn't have much time left.

InuYasha was hesitant at first, but for some reason he trusted her. He walked over to Kagome's lifeless body and cradled it in his arms.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her!" Sesshomaru roared.

InuYasha kept walking towards Kikyou.

Sesshomaru tried to stand, but the instant he did, pain struck him like a bolt of lightening. Kikyou's sacred arrows were among the few things that were fatal, and it looked as though his time was up. Nevertheless, he pulled out his Toukijin and crawled painfully over to where InuYasha had carried Kagome.

"Kikyou! I will kill you!"

"You already have," Kikyou stated.

Reaching into her robes, Kikyou handed InuYasha something that looked like a rose and instructed him to place it into the fire. InuYasha did as he was told, and instantly the fire changed. It took the appearance of Kagome!

"Kagome? What are you doing to her Kikyou?" Sesshomaru asked, barely able to breath.

"_Sougishiki Niso!"_ Kikyou shouted.

Instantly, her body rose into the air and the fire went out.

For a moment, everyone was still, afraid of what would happen next. Soon, however, the fire returned, and Kikyou was lying flat on the ground.

"What did you do?" InuYasha asked.

As if to answer his question, Kagome cried out, sounding like she was in the middle of a bad dream.

Sesshomaru stopped dead in his tracks.

"Kagome?" he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

He crawled over to her, blood from his wound pouring all over the ground as he did so. He didn't care, he only wanted to be near her.

Kagome wasn't dead. She wasn't quite alive either. She had no pulse, but her soul had returned to her body, and Sesshomaru could sense that she was fighting, trying to stay alive.

InuYasha turned to his beloved Kikyou. She looked even weaker now, and was without a soul.

"There is only one way to bring her back fully. I must die."

Sesshomaru turned towards Kikyou and eyed her suspiciously. Was this a trick?

"No Kikyou! We'll find something, there has to be another way!" InuYasha pleaded.

Kikyou gave him an unadulterated smile. She knew that her fate was to remain dead.

"No, InuYasha. It wasn't meant to be."

"Then I will die with you."

"You are meant to be alive. Only after Naraku has been truly defeated may you join me in death," she coughed.

InuYasha held her tightly to him as she died. He had lost her twice now, and it hurt even more the second time.

Before Sesshomaru could utter a word, InuYasha had swept Kikyou's lifeless body into his arms and dashed off beyond the trees.

Despite Sesshomaru's ill will towards his brother, he had more important things to worry about. Things like…Kagome.

Now that Kikyou was dead, would her dying words come to pass?

Sesshomaru watched Kagome eagerly, awaiting even the slightest sign of life. What if Kikyou was wrong?

In answer, Kagome took a deep breath, like she had been at the bottom of a swimming pool and run out of air.

"Kagome!"

Kagome sat up, coughing. When she was done, she wearily turned to Sesshomaru.

He was wearing the most amazing smile she had ever seen.

She smiled back and scrambled over to hold him. When she wrapped her arms around him, she noticed something was wrong. He didn't hold her back in return. She placed a hand to her stomach and felt something cold and wet. She looked down and saw that she was covered in blood…Sesshomaru's blood.

"Sesshomaru?" she asked, tears in her eyes.

Sesshomaru's face turned to one of sadness, for he knew that Kikyou was about to have a companion in the afterlife.

"NO!" Kagome screamed.

"Kagome," he whispered calmly, "don't cry. Not for me. You have saved me in more ways than you could ever know."

Kagome stroked his head gently as tears streamed forth from her eyes.

"Please, don't leave me alone Sesshomaru. I love you so much, you can't go!"

Sesshomaru gasped as a shot of pain went through him.

"Don't cry, maiden. The short time we have spent together has been the best of my life, and I have only you to thank for it."

Kagome shook her head angrily, not accepting this as their fate.

"I love you, Kagome. I say it now, and I mean it forever, you are the only woman I have ever loved. Don't despair," he whispered as he fell unconscious.

Kagome, in a panic, looked for something, anything that could help him. The only thing she saw of any use was Tenseiga. Tenseiga!

Kagome rushed over and picked up the dull sword. It had protected Sesshomaru from harm in countless battles before, maybe it could help him now!

"Sesshomaru, don't worry. I won't let our story end here!" she declared.

Kagome held the sword gently in her hands. Maybe she could strike him with it, that's how it was done, right? She raised the massive blade and brought it down upon him.

Nothing happened.

Kagome tried it again, and again, but still the same results.

"Please! Help your master," she pleaded to the sword.

The sword, in answer, became aglow as she brought it down upon him again, only for a brief second. Kagome stopped and looked at it.

"Are you trying to tell me something?" she asked it.

As she brought the blade down again, the same thing happened at a certain part of the swing. It seemed as though it was reacting to something.

Kagome ran her hands through Sesshomaru's robes. Suddenly, she felt a bag with what felt like rocks in it.

Kyosetsu!

On instinct, Kagome took out the stones and placed them in a circle around Sesshomaru. She didn't know why she knew to do this, but then again, she didn't know why she knew how to shoot a bow and arrow either.

The stones glowed bright red and in a display of power, came together to form a whole piece. Kagome reached to grab the stone, but before she could get to it, Tenseiga flew from her hands and struck the stone with its blade.

Kagome was awestruck. Never had the blade done anything like this before.

When the light dissipated, all that remained was Tenseiga, only now it looked like a brand new blade.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the handle of the blade and brought it down upon Sesshomaru again.

With different results.

Sesshomaru was breathing. The blood disappeared from his robes, and wound, and he was whole.

He slowly opened his eyes. At first he thought he was dead, and that this was some form of heaven as he saw his beloved Kagome staring eagerly at him. He soon realized that for heaven, it was very cold, and that Kagome couldn't be in heaven, she was still alive.

Alive?

Sesshomaru shot up, tying to get a grasp on the situation.

"Sesshomaru!" Kagome shrieked in happiness as she tackled him.

They rolled around together, and laughed, both grateful to be alive, and together.

"What happened? I thought I was done for?" Sesshomaru asked. The last thing he remembered was Kagome holding him tightly and then darkness.

Kagome told him of how Tenseiga had glowed, and how it combined with Kyosetsu. Sesshomaru held the sword in awe. How had it known?

The sword now looked and felt like a brand new sword. Sesshomaru was amazed. What was even more amazing was how good it felt to be alive and have Kagome at his side again.

As he looked up his gaze captured her bright blue eyes, and the words they had spoken before he almost died came to mind.

Would she forgive him for killing her?

"Kagome, I need to apologi-"

Kagome placed a finger to his lips and kissed him silent.

"I know Kikyou made you think I was her. Don't worry, I forgive you," Kagome whispered in his ear.

Sesshomaru pulled her to him. Never did he imagine he would find a more perfect mate. Never more so than in this woman.

"We should leave now, Rin and Jaken are waiting," Sesshomaru stated.

Kagome nodded her head with a faint smile. It seemed that every time she wanted to get close to him, he pushed her away. She knew he loved her, for he had told her himself. Why wouldn't he go further with her? Kagome only wanted to show him how much she loved him…

Little did she know, Sesshomaru had unfinished business with her. When they returned, he would show her how much he loved her…

END OF CHAPTER 13

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Okay, that was a long chapter for me! LOL. I hope you liked it. Chapter 14 will be up ASAP, but that is all that I can promise. Chap. 14 will get pretty racy, being that it is a love scene, but don't worry; it should stick to that R rating…LOL. And it is the last chapter…

I know, sad huh?

But, I am thinking about doing a sequel, so send me your feedback about that idea. Next week I start working on "Bad Company" (sorry Sesshomaru fans, its an InuYasha and Kagome fic…based on 'the count of Monte cristo, which I highly recommend you watching (the new one). I bought it the first day I saw it!

Thanks a lot. See ya soon

Much love,

Sophie


	14. Unfinished Business

Title: Otherside

Chapter 14: Unfinished business

Hey kiddos. Blah blah blah, I know some of you are pretty ticked, but for the first time ever, I had temporary writers block! Don't worry, I had a dream about how to end this and now I hope to bring you the final chapter of otherside.

**NOTE: Racy stuff! Not NC-17, but a strong R rating**

Standard disclaimers apply.

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Otherside Chapter 14

Sesshomaru and Kagome stood in front of a large beautiful shrine encircled in silver.

Kagome didn't know exactly why they were there, but she didn't care. Whoever lived in this beautiful home was obviously someone of great importance.

Though the warring states era was one in which the land had not yet been modernized, it was still beautiful. There were trees, flowers and plant life everywhere. But it paled in comparison to the magnificence of the land in front of Kagome. She could only stare at it in awe.

Sesshomaru chuckled lightly at the look on the face of his beloved Kagome.

"What are you laughing at?" Kagome asked him, mocking anger. "Laugh all you want, but whoever owns this is probably among one of the most important and regal people in Japan!" she added.

Sesshomaru, once again could suppress his laughter no longer.

"You are most definitely right, Kagome," he chuckled.

Kagome didn't know what was so funny, but were it not for her exhaustion from the past ordeal; she might have been a little keener on her surroundings.

When Sesshomaru's laughter finally subsided, he stepped forward and raised his hand.

Immediately, the main doors to the building opened, and a giddy Rin ran out towards them.

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome who was now laughing much in the same way he had, partly out of awe, the other out of embarrassment.

"I guess this important man also has companions who look just like Rin?" he jested.

Kagome gave him a nudge with her elbow and marched to the doors to meet up with Rin.

"Master Sesshomaru! Lady Kagome! You're okay!" Rin squealed with delight.

On cue, Jaken came racing down the hallway to the elaborate living room where his master and Lady Kagome were standing.

"Thank all! Both of you are safe! Not that I thought anything otherwise, Lord Sesshomaru…" Jaken commented.

Sesshomaru bent down to the level of his two companions. He had never been one to freely admit that he cared for other people, but now things were a little different. Sesshomaru wrapped his good arm around the two of them and gave them a tight squeeze. Even Kagome stood there in awe.

"I would like to speak to the two of you, alone."

Rin and Jaken both walked outside with him, out of earshot of Lady Kagome. Sesshomaru had never been one to keep secrets from Kagome, so either something strange had happened while he had left, or he was planning something.

"I am glad you are both well," he confided, "Kagome and I are fine. I have only one request of you two."

Jaken and Rin looked at him curiously, not sure of what to expect.

"Go find Lady Kagome's companions. Bring the monk, the demon slayer, the young fox demon, and whoever else is often at her side."

"But Mast-"

"I have arrangements to be made, and there is no time for questions. Go now," Sesshomaru commanded.

Without a second glance the two small beings took off in search of Kagome's friends.

Sesshomaru smiled inwardly as he walked back inside.

Kagome stood in the center of the large living room, staring at the intricate paintings on the walls and ceiling.

It pleased Sesshomaru to see her so happy with his living accommodations.

"Would you like a tour, my Lady?" he asked nobly.

Kagome took his hand wordlessly as he led her forward through the spacious home.

It was not unlike a modern home, in many ways. Except for the absence of technology such as computers, televisions and appliances, you would think it was a modern day mansion.

"This is where we will eat dinner, this is my study (Let's just assume they had something similar) and this…" he trailed off as they reached the massive master bedroom.

Kagome's eyes lit up as she took it in. There was a chandelier made of carved glass lit by some sort of unexplained power, a large rug made of the hide of a striped animal, and a mammoth sized bed. It was perfect.

"…is where I sleep when necessary."

Kagome faced him and placed a hand on his smooth timeless face. Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming.

"But, do not think I will let you off that easily, Kagome. You and I have unfinished business…"

Before Kagome could object (as if she would!), Sesshomaru embraced her and kissed her deeply, exploring her mouth with his, taking every part of her as his own possession. Kagome responded eagerly, unable to suppress the passion she had contained in her heart for so long.

Though Kagome was a young woman, she was not uneducated in the art of love. She had had boyfriends before, none of which she had ever loved or made love to, but she knew enough about what men liked to please them. But did she know what _demons_ liked?

Sesshomaru gently laid Kagome down upon the bed removing articles of clothing from her, then himself, until there was nothing holding them back from each other.

Kagome could hardly contain her joy at having the sheer feeling of his skin on hers. Sesshomaru pushed himself up with his good arm and looked down at the beautiful woman beneath him. His eyes traced every curve and outline of her body, finally concentrating on her blue eyes, twinkling lovingly up at him.

"If we do this, Kagome, there is no turning back. I will be next to your side forever, and you will be with me as well. Are you sure?" he asked seriously.

Kagome pulled him to her and whispered into his ear, "This is the only thing I am sure of."

She kissed him again and he held her tightly, whispering in her ear, "Tomorrow I make you my queen."

"I would be anything if it meant being with you."

Sesshomaru smiled and they remained together all through the night, exploring each other and finally falling into a deep sleep.

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The first rays of morning came through the cracks between the curtains, tickling Kagome's senses. Her eyes fluttered open and a smile crossed her face as she relived

the previous night's events. She sat up and stretched her arms, taking in the feeling of being a woman in love. She turned to kiss Sesshomaru, but he wasn't there.

Kagome jumped out of bed and wrapped the smooth sheets around her nude body. It wasn't like him to disappear on her. She smoothed her long black hair (which was almost to her waist at this point) with her hand and took off down the hall searching for Sesshomaru, hoping he was alright.

"Sesshomaru! Rin?! Jaken?!" she shouted worriedly, not knowing what was going on.

When she reached the living room she got her answer.

As Kagome stood there covered with nothing more than a steel blue colored sheet, looking like a wild animal, all of her friends, including Kaede, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kirara, Rin, Jaken, among others, and of course, Sesshomaru, stood there dressed in formal clothing, staring at her.

"Good morning, Kagome," said Sesshomaru, dressed in formal royal attire, smirking at her.

Kagome could only pray that her sheet didn't fall off of her. It was like one of those nightmares she had about going to school in her underwear, but worse. From the looks of it, she had showed up at a wedding.

"This is my future bride, and queen, Kagome everyone," Sesshomaru continued, undaunted by her attempts to solicit his attention.

The laughter that immediately proceeded was so loud, it echoed down the halls of the manor, making the walls shake.

"Sango, promise me you'll dress like that on our wedding day?" Miroku asked Sango, earning a good smack.

"Wedding?" thought Kagome.

"I have laid out a proper gown for you in your dressing room, Kagome. Here is the key to the room. Perhaps you should dress," Sesshomaru grinned.

Kagome snatched the key out of his hand and marched down the hall, angrily.

"Maybe it would have helped if instead of saying 'tomorrow I make you my queen', he would have said 'lets get married tomorrow!'" she huffed.

Nevertheless, an hour later, Kagome and Sesshomaru were exchanging vows in front of all their friends. Two hours after that, they were on the back of Sesshomaru's dragon steed, on their way to the coast for their honeymoon.

The wind rushed through Kagome's hair, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Sesshomaru's waist as they traveled through the air of the moonlit night.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, Kagome?"

"What if I get pregnant on our honeymoon?"

"Then we'll be blessed with a child. Is that a problem?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No, not to me. I would be happier than you could imagine!"

"And a perfect mother," Sesshomaru added.

"It's not that," said Kagome.

Sesshomaru looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She obviously had something important on her mind.

"What is it, my love?"

"You do understand that our child would be half human?"

Sesshomaru paused for a moment as though in deep thought. Kagome bit her lip, worried that he had never thought about it.

"As far as I'm concerned, the more he or she has of you, the more pure the child will be. Our children will be powerful, Kagome, more powerful than you or I could ever imagine, and I will love them as much as I love you."

Kagome let out the breath she was holding, obviously pleased that Sesshomaru would be a good father.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Yes," he asked wearily.

"Um, there's one more thing…"

"Yes…"

"I need you to go to the future with me."

Sesshomaru turned towards her again, this time absolutely baffled.

"Anything you want Kagome," he soothed.

Kagome smiled brightly.

"Good, you can meet my mom, and tell her that we're married and that I'm a queen now and that I might be pregnant!" she exclaimed.

Sesshomaru held his face in his hand. This was going to be an interesting ride…..

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WHEW! I'm DONE BABY! Yeah! So, how did you guys like the story? It's done, so now I can start dishin out the other stories I've been working on! Yay! I really am proud of how far this story has come along, you guys have made this awesome! I love all of my friends and FANS! (I can't believe I am lucky enough to have you guys!) Please email me, post me, review me, love me or hate me. Any of these will please me, and watch for my other stories soon to be posted at (for all of you at small sites).

Get my email addy from your sites and I will be glad to respond.

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Much love,

Sophie Bloom


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